One Voice
by kayixu
Summary: Newleaf has come to the forest in which RogueClan resides. The Clan is thriving, except for one thing: the fiery enemy threatening to kill them. Meanwhile, here comes a new addition to their rogue group. Ectri is a mysterious cat, who believes she is alone. But family is closer than she thinks. (Sequel to 'The Rise of RogueClan')
1. Chapter 1

RogueClan~

Leader: Songstar- a small but strong grey she-cat with amber eyes. Can be irritable at times, but has a softer side and is a fair leader.

Second in command: Hawkstrike- Light orange male tabby cat with yellow eyes. Very muscular and arrogant, but loyal.

Medicine cats: Shadefeather- Black cat with yellow eyes. She is timid and easily startled.

Apprentice: Thunderheart: Calico she-cat with green eyes. Calm and normally quiet, but not afraid to speak up.

Warriors: Boneclaw: Black and white she-cat with green eyes. Quiet and relaxed, but can be ferocious at times.

Irontooth- Grey male cat with blue eyes. Irritable and likes to fight.

Fogtail- White cat with yellow eyes and a fluffy tail. Slightly less irritable than Rainstep.

Fallfur- A calico she-cat with blue eyes and long fur. A powerful, kind member of the Clan and mother of Mossfur.

Apprentice: Flickerpaw

Steelclaw- Light grey cat with blue eyes and a short temper.

Apprentice: Icepaw

Twilightgaze- Black she-cat with blue eyes and one pierced ear. Calm and cunning.

Apprentice: Coalpaw

Emeraldfire- Hot tempered red she-cat with very pointed ears.

Leafwhisker- Tortie with green eyes. Calm and intelligent.

Bellchime- Fluffy white female cat with golden eyes. Sweet and quiet.

Apprentice: Stormpaw

Mossfur- Dark tabby, slighly lighter than Darkwood's pelt. She has golden eyes, and somewhat low confidence.

Chainlink- Irritable grey male cat with yellow eyes.

Apprentice: Rustpaw

Graveltail- Long furred grey cat with golden eyes. Calm and forgetful.

Apprentice: Barkpaw

Blizzardhowl- Three-legged white female cat with icy blue eyes. Cold and distant to everyone but her sister.

Pantherclaw-Black furred she-cat with green eyes. Protective of her kits.

Apprentice: Nightpaw

Firepelt- A quiet orange tabby with yellow eyes.

Apprentices: Coalpaw- Mostly black male cat with white on his paws and muzzle. Yellow eyes. Cheerful and relaxed.

Icepaw- White male cat with a black tail and paws, and yellow eyes. A pessimist, but is mentally prepared for crisis.

Barkpaw: Calm, brown male cat with yellow eyes.

Stormpaw: A grey female cat with yellow eyes and irritable nature.

Nightpaw: Black she-cat with light green eyes and a torn ear. Ferocious in battle.

Rustpaw- Male fire colored cat with yellow eyes. Irritable and distant.

Flickerpaw- Female fire colored cat with green eyes. Cheerful.

Queens: Rainstep- A siamese she-cat. Strong and irritable.

Elders: Oneclaw- A black and white female cat with yellow eyes. One of her claws was lost in a battle.

Lizardtail- Oneclaw's twin sister, who lost part of her tail.

Darkwood- a serious, and normally calm dark tabby with no front claws. One eye is a lighter shade of blue than the other.

OoOoOoOoOo

A prism dragon hatching crept cautiously out from behind a waterfall. Her beautiful emerald gaze showed far too much anxiety for a hatchling. Did her parents notice her slipping out of the lair? She really wanted to be alone, as far from their glaring eyes as possible.

She'd gotten in trouble a little while ago, for something seemingly small. She had pulled a feather nearly all the way out in her sleep, and it was broken. Her mother became angry when she went to remove it. Jiara had asked her how long she'd been grooming herself. When she tried to respond, her mother interrupted and told her to take a nap in her room.

But this loose feather irritated her wing horribly. She couldn't make herself sleep. The two adult dragons must not have seen her, she realized, so she did what very few hatchlings her age did. She skillfully climbed down to the ground below and hurried into a forest.

She went to a little stream where the occasional fairy could be spotted. Finally she could remove the broken feather. She sighed, wondering just what was wrong with her. She could hardly clean herself without being watched and told she was spending too much time on it. She had to make sure she didn't ask too many questions, or she'd be told she was trying to be more intelligent than everyone else. She didn't even dare say anything about wanting some solitude. Ectri did what she always did when upset: she sang.

 _I dreamed of a place_

 _Where the moon always shone_

 _I wanted to tell you_

 _But I decided not to_

 _My voice is meaningless to you, anyway_

Her beautiful voice filled the air and seemed to echo throughout the forest.

OoOoOoOoOo

The battle calls of cats filled the air and seemed to echo throughout the forest.

Songstar felt one of her gifts flowing through her body, making her feel as if she had the strength of two powerful cats. Bladetooth must be with her. Determination was clear in her amber eyes as she fought. Vinepaw must be here too, she realized. Her close friend, Mossfur, appeared by her side.

She grasped a paw in her mouth and rolled on the ground until she heard bones breaking. She let go of the enemy cat's paw and they ran as quickly as they could away from her land. Mossfur gave her opponent a parting scratch as they fled.

Fallfur was helping her apprentice get away from the fight. Flickerpaw had a broken foot as well. Nightpaw tackled a cat twice her size. Pantherclaw came along to assist her kit, though it didn't seem like Nightpaw needed any help. Hawkstrike was facing two enemies alone, and winning.

Graveltail and her apprentice were up against a team of four. Chainlink came to their aid. The three-legged warrior, Blizzardhowl's pelt was soaked with blood that wasn't hers. Oh, these cats were learning what attacking RogueClan would get them.

 _How dare they! And so close to camp! How did they manage to get so close without us noticing?_

"Who's in camp?" she asked Fallfur when the calico returned.

"Fogtail, Boneclaw, Twilightgaze, Coalpaw, and Leafwhisker are there to make sure no one but us gets inside."

Songstar faced off against a large, muscular black and white cat. Her small size gave her an advantage. The enemy cat underestimated her and didn't know what hit him. Bellchime and Stormpaw were shredding a tabby feline when the enemy leader called for retreat.

"Stay off of our territory!" Hawkstrike screamed.

The leader, a brown-furred cat told Songstar, "We will return! You horrid creatures brought darkness to the land! We are the Tribe of Raging Fire, and we will defeat you, even if it means burning the forest to the ground!"

OoOoOoOoOo

"You will not leave this lair for a week!"

Those were the words Xiu had spoken to her before retiring to the other nestroom. Her escape may have been stealthy enough, but they'd noticed her absence before she returned. Most of the words her parents had said to her had fallen on deaf ears. There was no doubt in her mind: they hated her. Why? What was wrong with her?

 _I dreamed of a place_

 _Where the moon always shone_

 _I would've told you, but my voice has no meaning_

 _Sometimes I wish I could just…._

 _Go…._

Hey…. Why not go? Why stay any longer? Ectri carefully snuck out of the lair and hurried towards the Sky Tower. She ran as fast as her short dragoness legs would carry her towards the levitating palace. She asked some air fairies to help her get up to the structure and fortunately, they did.

She cautiously moved through the dark hallways, looking for Niz's room. The gold dragoness was probably Ectri's only real friend. She at last found the sleeping hatchling and whispered in her ear.

"Hm….? Ectri? How did you get up here?"

"Fairies," she replied simply. "Niz, I want to leave this realm."

"What?" Niz sat up, fully awake now. "Why do you want to do that?"

"Jiara and Xiu hate me! I don't know why. I just want to leave….."

Niz looked into her friend's eyes. They were depressed, and confused. She only knew of one other realm, and it was a dangerous place. She told Ectri this and asked if her friend was sure.

"I'm positive!" Ectri replied.

"Well, ok. Bye."

Black wispy clouds formed around the prism dragoness hatchling. She saw that this was taking a large amount of focus for her friend, but whispered, "thank you," as the clouds encased her.

She began to fall, feeling her body take on a new form. Her wings disappeared and her scales changed to fur. Her talons felt thin and sharp. This only made her interested. What was she turning into? That didn't matter right now. What mattered was that she was free.

Even if she were hated in this new realm, she wouldn't be captive in the lair where she hatched. Maybe she would even find out what was wrong with her, and be able to change it.

She was no longer a prism dragoness hatchling.

She was a rogue, searching for a place to belong.

 **I didn't wanna wait to write it. :P Should I just switch between Ectri and Songstar, or write this story like I did the first one?**


	2. Chapter 2

**There was an emergency…. Anyway, now to continue.**

Ectri found it difficult to breathe. The air felt heavy in her lungs, and they felt as though some invisible force was squeezing them. The world around her was spinning, or so it seemed. She couldn't open her eyes without becoming nauseated. Where was she? The lack of magic in the air was too much for such a young hatchling to handle. Just before fading from the waking world, she saw a dark feline figure moving towards her.

OoOoOoOoOo

The enemies had injured several of its cats, but RogueClan remained strong as ever. Flickerpaw was already impatient to get back to her training. Rainstep wasn't far from kitting. Bellchime was recovering well. Hawkstrike observed the activity in the camp, almost purring.

The fresh-kill pile was well stocked, and the sunhigh border patrol had just left. He had chosen the cats that would go. Of course he'd been surprised when Songstar chose him as second in command. But the grey cat had said that he was a strong and loyal cat, worthy of the position, no matter what problems they'd had in the past.

Zari really had changed.

Mossfur had left, claiming she was going hunting. But the orange feline suspected she just wanted some time alone. He didn't care what the reason was, but he hoped she would actually come back with something. After all, there could never be too much food.

Oh, she came back with something all right. This wasn't fresh-kill. Hawkstrike watched the dark-furred warrior walk up to him, carrying a pure white kit. The kit was completely limp in her jaws, the only indication that it was alive was its breathing.

"Mossfur, what in the name of MoonClan!"

"I found her in the forest," Mossfur replied quietly, after putting the kit down. "I tried finding a scent trail so I could take her back to her parents. There isn't one. It's like she just appeared out of nowhere."

If this had been an adult cat, he might've been against letting them stay. This was a kit though, not much older than three moons. It was true that there was no Tribe scent on the stray kitten. It was unlikely that their enemy would use a kit for a spy anyway. He had to report this to Songstar.

"Do you know why she's unconscious?"

"No."

"Then take her to the medicine cats' den. I'll go tell Songstar about this."

Mossfur carried the little white-furred kit in the direction of the burrow. Hawkstrike padded away from Tall Rock, and towards the leader's den. Vines hung over the entrance to the hollow tree trunk, making the den more private. Songstar had once been a magical being; perhaps she knew something about this mysterious appearance?

"Songstar," he called.

"Come in."

Hawkstrike carefully pushed through the curtain of vines and into the dark den. His leader's amber eyes appeared to glow in the darkness, looking sleepily at him. At one point in time, convincing him to attack her would've been easier than convincing a dog to chase a cat.

"More Tribe activity?" she asked.

"Not since the attack. Mossfur found a kit in the forest, and says there is no scent trail that could lead her back to the kit's family. So she brought them here."

"That's interesting," Songstar replied thoughtfully.

"The kit, she's unconscious for some reason. So I told Mossfur to take her to the medicine cats' den," he explained. "What do you think of this? After all, cats don't normally just appear out of thin air."

RogueClan's leader was silent for a moment. "I don't know. I'll have to speak with her when she wakes up."

Hawkstrike nodded, and left the den, leaving Songstar to purr with amusement at how much had changed.

OoOoOoOoOo

At long last, she was able to breathe a bit easier. Ectri opened her eyes, not feeling as dizzy as before. What was this? What ever these creatures were, they were much more diverse in appearance than prism dragons! One was black-furred, with yellow eyes. It was sorting through a collection of herbs.

The other was multicolored with green eyes. It was carefully inspecting the broken foot of a fire-colored feline. It spoke in a feminine voice, telling the fire-colored one that the bones had been properly set, and not to move too much. Ectri felt strange in this new form. She guessed it was like theirs, because her paws looked like theirs in shape.

"Oh, you're awake," the multicolored feline said happily. The black one turned around.

"Yes Thunderheart, go let Songstar know."

Without a word, the one called Thunderheart padded out of the burrow. "Who is Songstar?" she questioned timidly.

"She's our leader!" the red cat said cheerfully before the black one could react. "The amazing leader of RogueClan! You should join- ow!" it had moved its foot a little too quickly.

The black feline had a look that clearly said, "You were warned" before speaking to Ectri. "My name is Shadefeather, and that is Flickerpaw. Over there is Bellchime."

Ectri looked in the direction of another white feline, which was sleeping. She felt slightly more at ease now, and said, "I'm Ectri."

"Ectri…. That's a unique name. I don't think I've heard a name like that before."

Before she could reply, Thunderheart returned, followed by a small grey feline with amber eyes. This must be Songstar, she realized. The grey feline sat by the nest Ectri had just noticed she was lying in. This "Songstar" appeared to see something none of the others could.

OoOoOoOoOo

The kit refused to make eye contact with her, but didn't need to for Songstar to see what she did. Those eyes looked remarkably like…. No. Couldn't be. She waited a moment to see if the timid kit would speak up, but they didn't. Finally, Shadefeather introduced them as Ectri.

"Ectri, where is your family?"

Ectri hesitated. "I don't have one."

She could see right through that lie, but the other cats seemed to believe it. Well, if this kit was so determined to stay away, she must have some reason to be. There was no way Ectri could survive on her own, though. So what else could the Clan leader do?

"Well, maybe you should join us. We are a Clan. Have you heard of Clans?"

"No."

"Then let me tell you about ours."


	3. Chapter 3

"Let the cats of RogueClan gather around Tall Rock for a meeting!"

The soon to be renamed Ectri sat in front of her, timidly glancing at the cats that were surrounding. Songstar knew it was going to take a lot of patience to build the kit's confidence. What happened that Ectri was so hesitant to share? She looked kindly at the little she-kit, whom was staring at the ground in front of her paws.

"As most of you know by now, Mossfur discovered a stray kit in our territory. She has no family to speak of. She has nowhere to go."

"Sounds like you, Fogtail," said Rainstep.

Songstar continued. "In short, RogueClan is just the place for her. Until becoming an apprentice at five moons old, she will be Pearlkit, and stay in the nursery."

"Pearlkit, of RogueClan!" The cats exclaimed, welcoming the newest member to the Clan.

The older cats could see that it would take some time for Pearlkit to adjust to Clan life. They could see that the kit was nervous, and most of the apprentices respected her personal space too. Coalpaw and Nightpaw walked up to her though, as Songstar jumped down from the rock.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Welcome to the Clan," a black "cat" said quietly. "My name is Nightpaw, and this is Coalpaw."

"Don't worry," Coalpaw's voice was warm. "You'll get used to the crowd."

Pearlkit. She liked that name. She thought it was very pretty. She dared meet the eyes of the black cat named Nightpaw. She could see no anger in them, only encouragement. But she was still worried. Whatever was wrong with her, what if the cats noticed it and hated her?

Pearlkit timidly looked away, and saw a brown and cream-colored cat gesturing with its tail for her to come. She walked over to the siamese, and the white cat sitting next to her. She heard an odd vibrating sound. Was that…. Purring?

"Hello, Pearlkit. Looks like I'll have some company now. I'm Rainstep."

"And I'm Fogtail."

"And I've clearly lost my mind," said a black and white she-cat as she walked up to them. "Rainstep and Fogtail, being nice?"

"Oneclaw," both adult felines stated the name at once.

The elderly cat whispered in Pearlkit's ear, "make sure this scene is forever burned into your memory. Who knows how long it'll last?"

Pearlkit felt unnerved by the warning, and the unfamiliar feeling of breath on her ear.

"Your eyes are striking, Pearlkit. They probably look more like emeralds than Emeraldfire's do," Oneclaw continued with amusement. "You'll meet her soon, I'm sure."

"Fogtail, why don't you go get a mouse for her to eat? And while you're there, grab that delicious looking rabbit," Rainstep said while hungrily staring at the pile of dead prey animals.

"Well, I'll leave you to get to know each other. You'll be den-mates for at least a little while," Oneclaw said, walking away as Fogtail headed for the fresh-kill pile.

And so, she was left alone with the cat known as Rainstep, who led the way inside the bush that was the nursery. The entire floor of the den was covered with soft leaves. There was one nest made of moss and twigs in the den. It was huge, and Pearlkit assumed that was for Rainstep and the coming kits. Thunderheart soon arrived and put together a soft bed for her to sleep on.

Thunderheart was such a fierce name, she reflected. Not the kind of name you would expect from a healer. Pearlkit ate the meat of the mouse in silence as Rainstep devoured her rabbit. Fogtail left to do something called a border patrol. Pearlkit settled into her luxurious nest. Her parents had slept in a nest, and she had too, but never one so soft. She'd heard of some dragons that would just sleep on stone.

Pearlkit had only been here since yesterday, and couldn't imagine such a thing now.

OoOoOoOoOo

The day after Pearlkit officially joined RogueClan; Hawkstrike led the way to a great hunting spot. Since the Tribe of Raging Fire's attack, he wanted to be extra alert, and it was no coincidence that he happened to choose this part of the forest. It was close to the Southern border, where the Tribe was most often spotted.

Boneclaw, Irontooth, and Leafwhisker were behind him. He signaled with his tail to split up and begin hunting. Impatient, the orange cat struggled to remain undetectable to prey. At last came his chance to kill a bird. The woodpecker was busily trying to make a hole in a tree.

His hind legs propelled him high enough to reach it, and his long, sharp claws ended the bird's life before it could alert any more prey. Hawkstrike dropped it at the tree's trunk and continued hunting. He noticed a mouse among the bushes, and prepared to pounce.

"Hawkstrike."

Twilightgaze's voice made the mouse hurry into its nearby burrow. "What?" he questioned irritably.

The calm black feline stared at him with her icy gaze. "I've been thinking. How did the Tribe cats get in our territory without ever crossing the scent markers?"

"They crossed them, they just found a way to hide their scent."

"Are you sure?"

Hawkstrike hesitated. "Why? Did you find something?"

"No. But I don't think they just walked over the scent borders."

OoOoOoOoOo

"…. And you try to catch it!" Coalpaw was saying cheerfully.

"I don't understand. Why?"

"Well because…." Coalpaw tilted his head, and then looked at the mossball. "No reason, really. It's just a game. Kits play it for fun.

Pearlkit paused; wondering how throwing moss around could be fun. What was fun, anyway? She wasn't sure she knew. Was this what was wrong with her, not understanding "fun"?

"You look like you're in trouble after doing something wrong! Lighten up. Not every kit has to like the same thing."

"Pearlkit! Can you come help me a minute? Thunderheart's out looking for herbs."

Coalpaw said he had to go clean out one of the dens anyway, so Pearlkit made her way towards Shadefeather. The medicine cat led her into one of the tunnels. There was a mix strong smells in this room. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust and she could see various herbs placed neatly at the walls of the room, wrapped in giant leaves.

"What do you need help with?"

"Actually, I just wanted to talk to you. Did something…. Happen to your family? Or did you just wake up one day and they were gone?"

"I… there was something coming, a large animal. I don't remember what they said it was, but my parents said it was coming…."

"And told you to run while they fought it?"

Pearlkit nodded. She didn't like having to lie, but these creatures didn't even seem to know about dragons. She felt Shadefeather's tail wrap around her. It brought back memories of a time extremely early in her life, when she would sleep under her mother's wing. That time seemed like an eternity ago….

"You must have at least one sibling. Do you know where they went?"

She looked up at the cat's kind yellow eyes, which seemed to glow in the darkness. "No…. I'm alone. But it doesn't bother me."

"You're not alone any more," Shadefeather said. "And no cat here will harm you, so why don't you try making some friends?"

"Ok," she replied, feeling better about being here. She turned to leave.

"Oh, and Pearlkit?"

"Yes?"

"Who knows? Maybe family is closer than you think."


	4. Chapter 4

Songstar awoke on a smooth flat stone, just large enough for her and…. What in the world?

"Nakir?"

"Zari," the gold dragoness greeted her, looking uncomfortable with such a small amount of space.

Songstar stared, her fur bristling at the sight of the giant lizard towering before her. Then she felt amusement at her own reaction. "It's been many moons."

"Not very long for a dragon," Nakir replied, her silver gaze full of interest. "Your eye color has changed."

"It has." RogueClan's leader paused for a moment, before the awkward silence was too much to handle. "Why are you here?"

Nakir looked relieved to finally speak her reason for meeting Songstar in MoonClan. "It's about your sister."

Songstar blinked. "I don't have a sister."

"Yes you do. She hatched not long after you were banished. Your parents were waiting for the right time to tell you about her, but you can see how that turned out. Her name is Ectri."

"Actually, it's Pearlkit now. She joined RogueClan a few days ago," Songstar replied, narrowing her eyes. "What about her? I doubt she did anything horrible enough to be banished."

"No, she came to Niz and asked to leave our realm. Apparently she thinks Jiara and Xiu hate her," the gold dragoness replied, before looking up at the full moon. "They've been…. Well, they were afraid she would become arrogant, so-"

"So they destroyed her self-esteem," the grey feline interrupted.

Nakir looked at the cat with surprise. "They were only trying to protect her. I need you bring her back to this realm. I can create a portal and-"

"Protect her? Well, they did a terrible job!" Her tail twitched from anger. "I won't make her go back to a place where she's miserable!"

"She's just a hatchling," Nakir replied, a hint of irritation in her tone. "And you're not that much older. Neither one of you understands that your parents only did what they did so Ectri wouldn't…." the dragoness wasn't sure how to end that sentence.

"So she wouldn't what, Nakir?" Songstar challenged, her voice steady and calm now. "End up like her older sibling, an animal in a Human realm? A mere pest in the eyes of so many?"

"Zari, listen. Ectri-"

She interrupted again, saying, "no, _you_ listen. I am the proud leader of RogueClan. I'm happy with my life, and who I've become. Isn't that why you banished me here? To become better as a person and find a new beginning? I may not be very old in dragon years, but I am an adult cat.

You've always had your dragon form. You've never had to survive in a filthy Human settlement. To many dragons, Humans are nothing more than interesting lesser beings. But I survive in a place where even they are superior.

Don't think I don't know you were there. I've had plenty of time to think about those strange occurrences, when I suddenly had skills without training. I know that was you. But I was the one to use my claws. While you observed, I led RogueClan. It was my paws that walked the journey, you just watched.

While you and all the prism dragons spend millennia doing nothing, I will truly live. I can see past appearance now, can't you see more than age? I understand perfectly well what our parents were trying to do. But it failed. I know Pearlkit doesn't want to go back to that realm and I won't make her. Even the smallest kit's voice deserves to be heard.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I can hear Hawkstrike. And by the way, her name is _Pearlkit_ and mine is Songstar."

She opened her eyes to see a belligerent Hawkstrike standing in her den. "The Tribe! They attacked Barkpaw!"

OoOoOoOoOo

"…. I was hunting, about to catch a mouse…. When they came out of nowhere…."

Pearlkit listened closely to the apprentice cat's voice from the entrance to the injured den. Those "Tribe" cats sounded dangerous. Why did they attack? Shadefeather ran into her and hurried into the herb room, returning a few heartbeats later with her front legs covered in cobwebs. The black cat looked frantic. Would Barkpaw be alright?

Not wanting to get in any cat's way again, she left the medicine cat's den. Songstar was gathering cats, talking about attacking the Tribe. The leader noticed Pearlkit, and looked at her for a moment. Did someone finally notice what was wrong with her? The kit felt fearful at that thought.

But Songstar led a group of cats out of the camp without saying a word to her. While she wanted to fix this horrible flaw she had, Pearlkit was worried that everyone would hate her if they discovered it. She quietly walked into the nursery, only to hear Rainstep's urgent voice.

"Pearlkit…. Go get Shadefeather…."

"Shadefeather's helping Barkpaw," she replied timidly. "He was attacked and-"

"Then go get Thunderheart! And Fogtail! The kits are coming!"

"C-coming?" Didn't cats lay eggs too?

Rainstep hissed at her. "Go!"

She ran as fast as her kitten legs would let her back to the burrow. "Thunderheart!"

The calico appeared almost instantly from the injured den. "What is it?"

"Rainstep says the kits are coming," Pearlkit replied, still unsure of what that meant.

"Now?" Thunderheart questioned frantically. "While all this is going on? Ok, I'll be there in a minute."

She left the den and looked around at the camp. "Fogtail!"

She ran into the warriors' den. The bush-den was empty, and Pearlkit turned around, only to run into the grey warrior, Irontooth. "Fogtail left with Songstar to attack the Tribe. Why are you looking for him?"

Rainstep's screech seemed to answer his question. "Oh, come on! This is the most inconvenient time she could possibly choose to start kitting!"

"Yeah, because you know, we get to _choose_ when this happens," Fallfur replied irritably.

Their aggravated voices didn't scare Pearlkit as much as they did a few days ago, so she hurried past Irontooth and ran back to the nursery. She started to walk in, only for Thunderheart to tell her to stay out. Rainstep stopped screaming at the top of her lungs after a little while.

"You can come in now, and see your new den-mates!" Thunderheart said happily.

"Den-mates?" she asked curiously and walked back in.

Thunderheart gestured with her tail and Pearlkit's gaze fell upon a trio of newborn kits, lying in the nest with their mother. She was unsure of where they came from, but was pretty sure the queen didn't lay eggs. She quietly walked over to the nest. She stared in awe at the adorable little creatures.

One was pure white, like Pearlkit herself. To its right was an off-white kitten with a light brown muzzle and ears. To that kit's right was a white one with brown ears and a brown tail tip. She could see that kit's feet, which were brown as well.

"A she-kit and her two bothers," the calico said.

 **I wanted to write Songstar ranting at one of the dragons... I hope the rant makes sense! :P Name suggestions for the kits?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to Starlight and Silverwolf for the name suggestions!**

Frostkit, Ivorykit, and Wavekit jumped to catch a mossball that Pearlkit had thrown. Like dragons, it seemed cats matured quickly. It hadn't been very long and they could walk, talk, and play. The trio got into a wrestling match. She warned them not to hurt each other, but they gave no indication that they'd heard. Ivorykit won the fight and jumped on the mossball, which had landed a few paw steps away. He began shredding it.

"Die, Tribe cat!"

Pearlkit was shocked at his ferocity. Frostkit and Wavekit looked on with irritated expressions. Rainstep observed from the nursery entrance, mild concern showing in her gaze. Pearlkit headed towards the fresh-kill pile, which was plentiful, and decided to try a small fish. She noticed Steelclaw's return. His apprentice, Snowstripe, and Leafwhisker were behind.

 _Warriors,_ she thought. _It's hard to imagine I'll ever be one._

She still couldn't figure out what it was that was wrong with her. For some reason, these cats didn't seem to notice, whatever it was. What would happen when they did? She hastily finished her fish and wondered what to do. Bushes surrounded the camp, except for the entrance. Kits weren't allowed out of camp without someone to watch them, and she knew she wouldn't feel comfortable with someone watching her every move.

Suddenly feeling nervous, she walked back to the nursery. Anxiety about her unknown flaw vexed her immensely and there was little to take her mind off of it. Alone in the bush, she looked through the branches. Everyone was going about there daily business. Not one cat had noticed anything wrong with her…. Except maybe Songstar.

 _When you look at me_

 _What do you see?_

 _As much as I try_

 _I can't understand_

 _What is wrong with me?_

Her voice was quiet, and Rainstep was too distracted by Ivorykit pouncing on his brother to notice.

OoOoOoOoOo

In the darkness, an orange-eyed brown feline stared in awe at the creature before him. Its eyes glowed in the dark, and it looked at him thoughtfully. He wasn't sure if he should speak, or stay silent. As the Listener of Whispers, he was the only cat permitted entrance to this chamber. He had seen the creature before him many times, but never ceased being amazing by the powerful being.

"Flame Giver," he whispered, his voice hardly audible. "What shall we do? I know that you need sustenance, but I do not know how to give it to you. And those 'Clan' cats have brought darkness. They are strong, and I believe the only way to fight them is-"

Flame Giver made a somewhat loud, angry noise, which echoed throughout the cave. Listener was silent and did as his name suggested. The creature's voice reached his sensitive ears, forebodingly soft. The cat closed his eyes. As Flame Giver went on, his fur bristled and his tail swished nervously. Finally the creature stopped speaking. The Tribe leader bowed.

"It shall be done as soon as possible, Flame Giver."

OoOoOoOoOo

A small grey figure stalked through the forest, deep in thought. Her amber gaze was clouded with memories. Why hadn't her parents told her about Pearlkit? Songstar liked to think that not even she would be so vain as to despise her own sibling. Then again, her knowing probably wouldn't have helped anything either.

None of that mattered now anyway. She was RogueClan's leader, and Pearlkit wouldn't have to wait long to be an apprentice. She halted by the river, and fished for a while as she thought about who would be best for mentoring such a nervous and timid kit.

Emeraldfire had done nothing to boost Mossfur's self-confidence, she reflected. So perhaps a kinder cat would be a better choice? But she worried about her sister never really learning to fight if the teacher was too nice. She would figure it all out in time, she realized, and let peace come to her mind. But then sadness flickered within her. Earthpelt had given her the gift of peace. Songstar's memories came back to bother her once again as she thought of how terrible a cat she'd been.

 _Did our parents even tell her? Does she know she's not alone?_

OoOoOoOoOo

Clouds drifted in front of the setting sun, making the horizon appear different shades of pink. Pearlkit watched the beautiful event from beside Tall Rock, the trio of kits not far. Frostkit walked over to her, irritated about something. The white she-kit's yellow gaze was focused on her paws, as she kneaded the soil underfoot.

"Wavekit and Ivorykit are so annoying!" she complained.

"Look at the sunset," Pearlkit suggested. "It might help you relax."

Her den-mate hesitated, and looked up. Almost immediately, the kit was calm. She looked surprised, never having paid attention to a sunset before. The lovely pink sky was reflected in Frostkit's golden gaze. Pearlkit felt her whiskers twitching with amusement at the kitten's look of wonder.

"It's so pretty…."

"Ha! Didn't think I could do it, did you?"

Pearlkit turned around to see Ivorykit standing upon Tall Rock. Wavekit, who had dared his brother to climb up there she assumed, sat just beside the stone like Hawkstrike did during a meeting. Ivorykit looked out at the clearing, his blue eyes scanning the area like Songstar just after she called everyone.

"I, Ivorystar of RogueClan, declare that we are fearless, and-"

"GET DOWN!"

At Rainstep and Fogtail's enraged voices, the kit meowed with surprise and jumped. He managed to catch himself half way down, and then finished the trip. Wavekit purred as his brother came down from the rough stone.

"Fearless, huh?"

The two wrestled in a patch of grass next to the stone, Wavekit's blue eyes full of amusement. Frostkit hissed at both of them and went back to looking at the darkening sky. The colors were now blended shades of purple and pink. Songstar passed by Pearlkit carrying a mouse. The leader looked directly at her, and she pretended not to notice.

She was about to fake-yawn and head for her den when Songstar continued towards the hollow tree trunk. It was then that she realized how tired she really was, and actually yawned. She slowly walked towards the nursery. She curled up in her nest, and began drifting into sleep.

 _Frostkit really seems to like sunsets,_ she thought. _I think she'll start watching them every day._


	6. Chapter 6

**In response to Silverwolf's question: not sure exactly, but not anytime soon.**

 **Also…. After thinking about it, I'm wondering if I should rewrite Umbrastar's Path. There are just so many short chapters; maybe I should just start over? I dunno. SHOULD I? Tell me, readers of the story! :P**

 **And lastly, a warning: the following chapter contains tragedy, drama, and maybe a character or two that you may or may not want to strangle.**

 **-speaks to self- Begin!**

Pearlkit dreamt of her birth realm. She dreamt of gliding down from a mountain, and lounging beside a river. She dreamt of never having to hunt, or fight in a world of Humans. She dreamt of being a prism dragoness once more. But all through the dream, she remembered why she had left in the first place. How could she forget the glaring eyes of her parents?

She awoke suddenly, to the sound of battle.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Help defend the nursery!" Hawkstrike yelled over the chaos. He dealt a powerful blow to some fire-colored cat's head.

Claws ripped through the warrior cat's skin. He turned to glare at his latest opponent. The blue-grey male looked surprised to not have stopped him. Did that pathetic flea-brain think a little bleeding would scare him? Inside he smiled, thinking about how much Tribe blood he would spill. War was nothing more than a contest of that. RogueClan would win.

Hawkstrike's jaws clamped down hard on the other cat's foot. Claws from his enemy's other paw met his nose and his grip weakened until he had only one of their claws in his mouth. He purred, and pulled back, ripping it out. He tackled the smaller feline, and clawed at the cat's flesh.

He left them bleeding severely and was immediately met by two she-cats, one black and white, the other grey. Twilightgaze appeared by his side. They were an excellent fighting pair, Hawkstrike's brute force and her swift movements. She unbalanced one of the cats and they fell to the ground, unable to get up quickly enough to avoid her thorn-like claws.

He charged at his enemy, and they did the same. Both cats reared on their hind legs and swiped at each other's faces. Blood filled the other cat's right eye and one of his ears was torn. He saw a shadow move gracefully behind and two icy blue eyes.

Hawkstrike pushed the grey cat with his front limbs and Twilightgaze attacked with quick, yet deep scratches before disappearing into the darkness. He stared down at the Tribe cat, impressed. With both enemies defeated, he hurried towards the nursery to see if his orders were being carried out. A cat's voice, Chainlink's from the sound of it, stopped him in his tracks.

"Shadefeather is dead!"

OoOoOoOoOo

Pearlkit trembled in a corner of the nursery, the trio not far. Fogtail and Rainstep were defending their kits with all that they had, but they were getting weaker. She heard Hawkstrike yell for someone to come help defend the nursery, and hoped assistance would come soon. Something must've happened.

Two Tribe cats entered. One of them looked hasty. It was evident in the silver tabby's yellow gaze that he just here on a mission, and he wanted to complete it and leave. The other sent chills down her spine. It was a large, bulky tabby and white cat with amber eyes. Was he…. Enjoying this?

"Well, Falling Stone, which of them shall it be?" the larger cat questioned.

"Flickering Flame, I told you already," replied the silver cat. "It could be any of them."

Flickering Flame's menacing, joyous eyes looked to Pearlkit. "Maybe that one?"

"I don't even think it matters."

Falling Stone moved quickly, and picked up Ivorykit. There was no trace of viciousness in the little kit's eyes now, only fear. Frostkit acted instantly, desperate to defend one of her littermates, whom she'd found irritating just yesterday. She clawed her way onto Falling Stone's back and attacked weakly with her tiny claws.

"Put him down!" she screamed.

Falling Stone shook the kit off and Flickering Flame stalked towards the helpless Frostkit. Pearlkit couldn't see her den-mate anymore, as the kit and invader were on Falling Stone's other side. She finally gained enough composure to try and help Frostkit. She hurried around the silver Tribe cat and unskillfully attacked Flickering Flame.

The invader gave her a look of mild annoyance and batted her in the head, claws sheathed. It had been a powerful hit, and she fell to the ground, dazed. For a moment, all she could hear was her ears ringing. She couldn't find enough strength in her muscles to move again. She at last heard the muffled voice of Falling Stone, asking what his Tribe-mate was doing after putting Ivorykit down.

Frostkit screeched an earsplitting screech. Even with her hearing muffled at the time, it hurt Pearlkit's ears. Her vision was limited to what was in front of her face, which happened to be the nursery wall. Ivorykit bolted out of the nursery. As her hearing returned, she heard Wavekit's terrified mewing and two sets of paw steps hurrying out.

It had all happened so fast. She heard someone yell that Shadefeather was dead moments before hearing Rainstep's belligerent voice. Pearlkit was finally regaining her ability to move. It took her a few effort-filled moments to stand. She dragged her body over to Frostkit's and felt sick. No…. No one could be so cruel!

"Ivorykit! Frostkit!"

Fogtail rushed into the den. Pearlkit was positioned in front of the kit. Her father couldn't see what had happened just yet. "I-I tried to s-stop him…. But…"

Fogtail appeared by her side and stared in shock at the whimpering kit. "What happened? What did the rat-heart look like?"

"Th-there were two…"

"Why can't I see anything?" Frostkit asked in a weak, terrified voice.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Flickering Flame? I'm going to hurt that cat in ways he never thought possible," Fogtail growled.

Thunderheart padded up to her in the darkness with a leaf in her mouth. She put it down in front of Pearlkit and it uncurled, revealing a poppy seed. "Eat this," the calico said softly.

"Will she ever be able to see again?"

"Probably, but my guess is she's lost a lot of her vision. She most likely will see blurred colors and distorted shapes," Thunderheart replied as Pearlkit ate the seed.

"Will she be able to train?" Pearlkit had never heard Fogtail speak in such a quiet tone.

"That's for Songstar to decide. But Blizzardhowl is an excellent fighter. I wouldn't worry about it."

The white cat looked indecisive. "I wonder if Rainstep's caught up with them yet. Should I go look for her?"

"Was it only her that left?"

"I think so."

"Then go. I'll watch the kits."

Pearlkit looked at the sleeping Frostkit, a strange feeling stirring within her. Was this what anger felt like?

 **…** **.and done! Yep, just met the kits and now this happens….. Should Flickering Flame be captured…. Or shall he die later? :P**


	7. Chapter 7

The sun rose slowly over RogueClan's camp, the light cruelly revealing a body that had blended in with the shadows. Now that all the injured had been attended to, the Clan's sole medicine cat could begin her attempt at masking the scent of death. She reentered her den and went to the herb chamber. Her tired eyes not the best things to depend on in the darkness of the burrow, she used her nose. She retrieved some lavender and carried it to her mentor's body.

Once she had done all she could with the fur, she took a few shreds of the plant and placed them around the black cat's form. She'd never had to do this before, and hoped she was doing it right. Thunderheart heard a screech coming from the new prisoner den just outside of camp. Rainstep had caught the Tribe cat known as Flickering Flame. Fogtail helped her drag the gravely injured cat back here. Tree roots grew over the entrance to a little cave, making it just the place to keep him.

Songstar had found this an excellent opportunity to get some more information about the Tribe of Raging Fire. The first thing Rainstep had done was blind the enemy cat. She'd taken pleasure in declaring "an eye for an eye" as she did so. Thunderheart couldn't help but agree. Currently, it was Fogtail's turn to "interrogate" Flickering Flame. Emeraldfire was helping.

She decided to check on the kits before doing anything else, and returned to the injured den. Rainstep was in a deep slumber thanks to the few poppy seeds Thunderheart had covertly planted in the queen's mouse. The siamese had not been able to calm down after the night's events and Thunderheart had felt she needed to do something. Just convincing Rainstep to eat had been a near impossible task.

She had expected to see Ivorykit curled up in his mother's nest, but what she found was something much different.

"I'm sure this is it!"

"I can't even see it and I know it isn't."

"What is going on here?" she questioned. "Ivorykit, what are you doing with burdock root?"

Her voice surprised the kit, and he looked nervous. "I wanted to help…. Isn't this what you used on Frostkit's eyes?"

Realizing she had spoken in a loud, irritated manor, she took a deep breath. "No. That's for rat bites. _Celandine_ is for injured eyes."

Ivorykit looked disappointed. "Oh…."

"Told you," Frostkit mumbled.

After putting up the burdock root, and waiting for both kits to fall asleep, Thunderheart padded back out into the clearing. She paused for a moment to look at the wall of bushes around camp. There were a few damaged portions, which were being repaired. Songstar and Mossfur were leaving, for reasons unknown to the calico feline. She walked over to Shadefeather's body. She was about to crouch beside her fallen friend when the world suddenly faded to blackness.

OoOoOoOoOo

Songstar pounced, killing the squirrel in mere moments. She returned to where she had left the other, to find Mossfur licking a paw, her own prey in front of her. Three toads and two mice. Impressive. They wordlessly carried their fresh-kill in the direction of camp. Hawkstrike had returned from leading the dawn patrol by now, and was standing in front of the prisoner cave.

Upon seeing her though, he began to walk alongside her and waited with obvious impatience to speak with her. Knowing Hawkstrike, it was pretty clear to her what he wanted to discuss. She dropped her catches on the pile and gestured with her tail for him to follow. They entered her den and he spoke before she could get a word out.

"We must do something!"

"And we will," she replied calmly. "After we learn more about them. We don't even know where they are."

"But how long will it be until we know more? A cat is dead, and the rat-hearts won't even leave kits alone!"

"We should know more soon, Hawkstrike. There isn't much to be done right now."

Hawkstrike's tail twitched. "What _is_ there to be done?"

"Wait for Flickering Flame to give us the information we need. We can-"

"We can what?" the orange cat interrupted.

"Hawkstrike," the tone in her voice implied that she was irritated. It was enough to make him be silent and listen. She was thoughtful for a moment. "We'll need more than one cat to guard camp at night. One should be near the entrance, one to be near the nursery and elders' den, and one in a tree near camp. It can be the same cats every night or not. I don't care."

She waved her tail dismissively and Hawkstrike left her alone with her thoughts. She eventually found herself growing more and more tired and fell into a troubled sleep.

 _Zari…._ she heard.

 _No, Nakir._

OoOoOoOoOo

Pearlkit awoke to the sound of distressed voices. Rainstep and Fogtail were worriedly talking about Wavekit. The third of the trio was nowhere to be seen. Frostkit was trembling and breathing heavily. Her brother just sat in a far corner of the chamber, eyes closed and ears flattened, as though trying to block everything out. Steelclaw was fast asleep in one of the nests and Firepelt looked on with a tired expression.

"You're scaring the kits," she said. Blizzardhowl looked up to see what was going on.

Fogtail spoke quietly to his mate, and after a minute, convinced her to let the conversation move to outside the den. The reluctant queen asked Firepelt to watch them. The injured warrior waited for them to leave, and limped over to Ivorykit. She gently herded the off-white kit over to his sister's nest and sat down. Frostkit was still shaking from anxiety, and that feeling stirred inside Pearlkit again….

She sat up. Unsure of what to do, she sang.

 _Wings of fire glow in the night_

 _But the light of dawn shines ever bright_

 _Daylight always comes_

 _To chase away the darkness of night_

"…. That's a wonderful song, Pearlkit," Firepelt said with surprise. "When did you make it up?"

"Just now," she replied awkwardly. No one had ever heard her sing before.

"And you have such a wonderful singing voice, it's like nothing I've ever heard."

"Thank you," she replied, again feeling awkward.

Ivorykit finally spoke, seeming calmer now. "Can you make up another one?"


	8. Chapter 8

A half moon rose above the clearing. Pearlkit struggled to get to sleep, nervous about an approaching change to her life in the Clan. Frostkit had moved back to the nursery now, and there was still no sign of Wavekit. Flickering Flame's condition was getting worse, and the Tribe cat was refusing to give them any information about his group. Unable to rest, Pearlkit lifted her head and looked at one of her den-mates a tail-length or so away.

Ivorykit hadn't been acting like himself. Something about the attack changed the little kit. She quietly got up and left the den. Boneclaw was nearby, looking relaxed but alert. The green-eyed feline blinked slowly. She seemed curious about Pearlkit's reason for being out so late, but remained silent.

Irontooth was guarding the entrance, his back turned to the actual camp. Anxiety troubled her more and more the closer her apprentice ceremony came. Songstar must've noticed what was wrong with her! Why else would the leader be keeping such a close eye on her? But why wouldn't the grey cat tell her about this terrible flaw? Did Songstar think that she knew what it was?

Pearlkit had come to consider Nightpaw a friend. She wanted to talk with the black-furred apprentice. But it was late, and she didn't want to bother anyone…. She gave up on that idea. She'd kept her fear to herself so far, and saw no reason to change it.

OoOoOoOoOo

Songstar was dreaming. Fire. All she could see was fire. The fire was moving, like wings. Thunderheart's vision of wings of fire now presented itself to her. She could hear voices whispering just loud enough for her to hear, but not loud enough for the leader to make out words. Just when she felt she was about to understand them, the scene faded to blackness.

She refused to listen to Nakir's arguments about Pearlkit. If that dragoness was so determined to retrieve the RogueClan kit, then she'd just have to come in cat form and fight the Clan warriors to get her! Songstar forced herself to awaken. She pushed past the vines of her den. The light of dawn drifted through the trees and lit camp.

Hawkstrike was choosing cats for the dawn patrol. Rustpaw was emerging from the apprentice den, yawning. His sister was coming out of the dirtplace, her paw still not healed completely. Songstar purred at Coalpaw and Icepaw's excitement. Today was their final assessment. She tried thinking of warrior names that would suit them best.

The two apprentices left with their mentors and Songstar wondered what to do. Flickering Flame wasn't giving them the information they needed, and MoonClan knew if Wavekit was even still alive. Frostkit was slowly but surely learning how to navigate the area, with the help of her family.

The grey-furred leader padded towards the fresh-kill pile, and chose a bird to eat for breakfast. She quickly ate, and returned to her den to see if she could get any decent rest.

OoOoOoOoOo

Pearlkit watched from the nursery entrance as Songstar called a meeting. Supposedly, it was the day Coalpaw and Icepaw would become warriors. She wondered what their names would be. For a moment, she dared to wonder what her own warrior name would be. Then she dismissed the idea, thinking she would be banished soon enough.

"I wish Featherkit was here with us," she heard Coalpaw say.

"Today, two cats become warriors. Coalpaw, Icepaw, will you help protect RogueClan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"We will," they both said at once.

"Then from now on," Songstar jumped down from Tall Rock and stood in front of Coalpaw. "You will be named Coaltooth."

Songstar unsheathed the claws of one foot and Coaltooth did the same. They made their claws intertwine for a moment.

"And you will be Icefall," the leader said and repeated the gesture with Icefall.

"Coaltooth and Icefall, of RogueClan!"

Pearlkit heard a sigh beside her, and noticed that Frostkit had come out too. Rainstep looked just as depressed as her kit, with worry also evident in her eyes. Ivorykit hadn't even come out from the den. Pearlkit tried to find something to say that would help put their minds at ease. But what was there to say?

Storm clouds were forming in the horizon, threatening to make sunlight disappear from the land. The still, warm air was disturbed by a cool breeze, which made Pearlkit shiver. It rained in the realm of prism dragons, of course, but it was never cold. She hadn't been expecting the wind itself to be so unwelcoming. Was it a sign that she didn't belong here?

To anyone else, the idea would've seemed crazy. To her it made sense. But if she wasn't supposed to be in her birth realm, and she wasn't supposed to be here, then where did she belong? She couldn't travel. She had no idea how to survive on her own, as a dragon or cat. The most magic she'd ever learned was a simple defensive trick best used in case of a goblin attack. As the Clan went on with their daily business, she began to have a minor panic attack.

Not thinking, she ran for the camp exit, only faintly aware of Rainstep calling after her. It was pointless! Being the Clan, making friends, it was pointless! The cats would hate her the moment they discovered her flaw. Why bother waiting for that to happen? Pearlkit ran, daring to think that she just might find somewhere she could exist in peace.

A river blocked her path and she looked around for stepping-stones. There were none. Breathing heavily, she sat down and tried to calm herself. Why didn't the other Clan cats notice anything wrong with her? She stared down into the rushing water, not noticing a cat's approach.

"Something bothering you?"

The voice made Pearlkit jump a few paw steps in the air. Songstar. She wanted to ask the leader about her flaw, but couldn't find words. She stared at the ground in front of her, and waited, struggling to keep her breathing under control. When Songstar spoke, it wasn't with the irritation Pearlkit had expected.

"I suppose that wasn't the right question. _What_ is bothering you?"

Pearlkit opened her mouth, and then closed it again.

"Relax."

She took a few deep breaths, and finally spoke. "I-I'm worried about Frostkit…. And Ivorykit, and Wavekit."

"They'll all be fine, I'm sure. But there's something else, isn't there?"

Pearlkit was silent once more.

Songstar's voice remained calm. "Let's get back to camp. Everyone's worried about you."

 _Are they?_ She wondered. _Are Xiu and Jiara worried?_

 **Question time! Just who or what do you think the Flame Giver is?**


	9. Chapter 9

Nakir sighed after waking from her dream. Much as she'd liked thinking things would be better for Ectri if the hatchling returned, she couldn't believe it anymore. She was no mind reader, but she could sense the anxiety within the dragon-turned-cat. It all led back to the sisters' parents. Nakir had never seen anyone as upset as the two prism dragons. But what was done was done.

She ambled along down a hallway and entered the room where Cavvile was teaching their own offspring how to use their magic abilities. They'd both inherited Nakir's ability to observe distant worlds in their dreams. Her mate immediately noticed her arrival and opened his mouth to speak. She interrupted.

"I don't believe we should continue doing this. Ectri is constantly afraid, as though she's done something wrong just by existing."

"Did you speak to the hatchling herself?"

"No. I spoke with Zari, and she is adamant. She's not about to force Ectri into coming back."

"So it seems banishing her did nothing," Cavvile sighed.

Nakir narrowed her silver eyes. "She's no longer vain. She's standing up for what she believes is right."

"Well, it isn't right. We're the gold dragons. She should know to obey us," Cavvile replied, his voice full of irritation. "You must speak directly to Ectri, tell her it was wrong to run away, and if she comes back without arguing, she won't be in trouble."

"Just what do you intend to do if she doesn't come back?" she challenged.

"Just that should be enough to get her back here. She's timid. I've no intention of harming her."

"But you plan on scaring her into submission?" Javaraa glared at her father.

The gold dragon looked at her with surprise. "You stay out of this."

"Make me," the hatchling replied.

For once in her life, Niz spoke up. "If Ectri doesn't want to come back, she shouldn't have to. You're being arrogant."

"She's right, Cavvile," Nakir said. "A threat can come along at any time. I may need these abilities for something more important. I'm not going to pester Zari anymore."

She turned and left, the two hatchlings not far behind. Cavvile was left alone, to think about his family's words.

OoOoOoOoOo

Songstar felt Bladetooth's gift flowing through her as she sprinted towards the enemy camp. A near full moon floated in the sky and she reflected on her decision about Pearlkit's mentor. Her sister would become an apprentice the next day. Tonight though, they would take back Wavekit.

Hawkstrike and Mossfur were just behind the Clan leader. Bellchime and Stormpaw weren't far behind. Then came Snowstripe, with Steelclaw at the back of the group. Backup wasn't far. Songstar effortlessly jumped over a charred log, wondering why nature hadn't begun rebuilding here. Seemed like they would've noticed a wildfire in such a close territory, especially a recent one.

The terrain abruptly became open. She hurried along the wide-open space, occasionally kicking up ashes in her wake. Stones littered the area and surrounded the approaching cats more definitively the closer they got. The ground sloped downward and they could see bushes in the area below. She halted to look around.

There were many bushes and boulders surrounding the camp. Aside from the slope, there was just a steep drop to the clear space below. There was no guard, which made her suspicious. She moved on slowly, the walls of earth seeming to rise in her peripheral vision. She padded to the center of their camp, her jaws parted. There was Tribe scent here, alright.

She let her tail drop, it's tip hitting the ground, and they rushed into the dens to attack. She heard the battle calls of her Clan-mates as she and Mossfur charged. She was in full attack mode, ready to shred the first Tribe cat that crossed her path.

Then, she froze.

There were no cats here, aside from her and the others. A memory returned to her, seemingly insignificant before, of Firepelt falling asleep while guarding the prisoner den. Flickering Flame had given them a large amount of "information" just after that. She and her friend exchanged a knowing look as the sounds of surprised voices filled the air.

She hurried back outside and looked towards the slope. A line of Tribe cats blocked their only exit.

OoOoOoOoOo

The ambush had left no cat dead, but many badly injured. Pearlkit had heard Nightpaw talking about how Flickering Flame escaped the previous night. They hadn't been expecting him to be able to, with broken front paws. How had none of the camp guards spotted the Tribe cat?

It was late morning. A few clouds drifted in the light blue sky, white and fluffy like that rabbit Rustpaw had brought back earlier. Thunderheart sat at the entrance to her den, looking tired. Stormpaw was among those in the injured den. Pantherclaw was with the apprentice. Bellchime was well enough to tell Nightpaw about squirrel hunting, though she had been warned not to do any actual hunting.

Pearlkit's nerves were making her begin to shake. Today would be day, unless the attack had delayed her apprentice ceremony. She hoped it had. She wondered how her parents had been able to so quickly discover her flaw, yet these cats didn't seem to notice it. How was it that Songstar was the only one? And why hadn't the grey-furred leader told her to leave?

Perhaps the reason for Songstar noticing the flaw was because she was the leader, and had a special connection to MoonClan? But if that was so, then why hadn't Thunderheart figured it out? MoonClan had been described to her as the mystical ancestors of the Clans, or at least, many Clans. Not all. Sitting in front of the nursery, she began to hum quietly to herself.

"Let the cats of RogueClan gather for a meeting!"

The cats who weren't supposed to stay in the injured den began swarming towards Tall Rock. Songstar's amber gaze scanned the crowd of felines, and rested on Pearlkit. Her heart was pounding and she only barely heard the leader say to come forward. She was surprised her legs could still support her. When she stood in front of the stone, she glanced at the nursery. Frostkit was looking in her direction, seeming happy for the first time in a while. Ivorykit had a blank expression. Five words out of Songstar's mouth made her tremble even worse. She knew there were curious eyes fixated on her, but she paid them no attention.

"I will be your mentor."

The leader was in front of her now, and placed one of her grey paws on one of Pearlkit's. Voices rose from around them.

"Pearlpaw, of RogueClan!"

 **Happy Thanksgiving, people! :P**


	10. Chapter 10

**:D**

As the Clan cats went back to their daily business, Pearlpaw was surprised even more. "What would you like to start with?"

She didn't know how to answer that question. She was feeling overwhelmed by the change.

"How about we go on a tour of the territory?"

She nodded in response, and Songstar led the way out. She had to run to keep up with her mentor, and was breathing heavily by the time they stopped. This was a clearing, with many rough, flat boulders. Her teacher explained that this was the training area. It was here that cats trained for battle and practiced pouncing.

Just as her lungs were beginning to feel better, Pearlpaw had to run after the grey cat once more. The next stop on the tour was the Great Willow, a huge willow tree in the center of a giant clearing. From there, they went to a corner of the territory. They ran along the border until they reached a pond that was near the next corner of RogueClan's land.

A stream flowed from that pond, and to the river, which was the next thing they encountered on the trip. A fallen log was their bridge. The trip around the borders ended soon enough and Pearlpaw was shown the Dead Tree. She learned of the best hunting spot for one seeking birds. Then she was shown where more mice where found than anywhere else.

By the end of the tour, she was exhausted. They rested beside a large tree. While Songstar did seem tired by the exercise, the apprentice felt like she just might collapse if she had to run anymore. By this time, the sun was just about to set.

"There's one last thing to do today," the leader said. "Gathering moss."

Songstar unsheathed her claws and hooked some moss on them. Pearlpaw observed carefully, and then attempted the task herself. She pulled up moss, alright, but a lot of dirt came with it. It was unlike what Songstar had done. She froze for a moment, afraid that the grey cat would be angry.

"When the Clan found this territory, I helped collect moss for our beds. My first attempt looked much worse than that, just pick it up and shake the dirt off," her teacher explained, as she did just that with the moss that she had collected.

Pearlpaw nervously did that, and was surprised when Songstar nodded approvingly. They each carried a bunch of moss in their jaws. The white-furred apprentice was relieved that the trip back to camp was made at a relaxed pace.

The sunset was beautiful as always. Frostkit was staring at it, her brother sitting quietly beside her. Pearlpaw saw that her friend looked pleased to at least still be able to see the colors. Hawkstrike and Twilightgaze were sharing a squirrel, talking quietly. Songstar purred, a knowing look in her amber gaze.

"You can use this moss to make your nest, unless the others have already made it. If they have, take this to Thunderheart's den. Also, have something to eat." Songstar's voice had calm and even as the leader padded towards the fresh-kill pile and chose fish.

"Pearlpaw!" Nightpaw trotted up to her. The black-furred she-cat looked at the two large bunches of moss. "For your nest?"

Pearlpaw nodded, the moss in her mouth still. Nightpaw picked up the other large ball and headed towards the hollow log, which was somehow all that was left of a fallen tree. It was actually pretty spacious, though not as much as the nursery. Pearlpaw knew how to make a nest, as she had observed the apprentices do it for her and Rainstep.

Still, Nightpaw insisted on helping. "So how was your first day as an apprentice? And you have the _leader_ to teach you! Aren't you excited?"

Pearlpaw didn't reply.

"What's wrong?" Nightpaw paused. "You're always so nervous. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly.

"Why are you lying?"

Pearlpaw stared at the half made nest. Could she trust Nightpaw? She'd trusted Niz, and if the gold dragon hatchling had discovered her flaw, it was never mentioned. It confused her greatly. Would a cat have the same reaction? Songstar hadn't said anything….

"Guess who's in trouble," Barkpaw said as he entered, his voice a little amused.

"Firepelt? She _did_ fall asleep when she was supposed to be watching the Tribe cat."

"In her defense," Rustpaw said, his tone more of a growl as he walked in. "He didn't seem like he could even make an attempt at escape."

The log suddenly seemed a lot smaller.

"One of his Tribe-mates must've disguised their scent," Barkpaw said thoughtfully. "And told him what to say. Then when Songstar took most of the warriors with her to attack, some cat must have come and helped him."

"But there were guards. I doubt Twilightgaze would've fallen asleep," Nightpaw said.

"Maybe our enemy is just stealthier than we thought."

Pearlpaw exited the den. The sunset had faded, leaving a purple sky behind, which was turning black. She looked towards the nursery, hoping to speak with Frostkit, but her former den-mates had already gone inside. She decided not to bother them. She padded to the fresh-kill pile, and chose a mouse for her dinner.

She ate quickly, her feet feeling like they might fall off. She looked at the rising full moon, and admired it for a minute, before going back to her den. She found that her nest had been completed. She was sure she hadn't had the chance to finish putting it together. Nightpaw's nest was beside hers. The black-furred apprentice looked at her, light green eyes appearing to glow in the darkness.

"I finished it for you."

"Thank you," she replied, collapsing onto the soft bed and immediately falling asleep.

OoOoOoOoOo

 _Roach dung!_

Blizzardhowl opened her icy blue eyes, unable to get comfortable. She, with some effort, got up and headed towards the den exit. Walking on three legs was still difficult, even after so many moons. Lost in thought, she tripped over some cat's tail. Emeraldfire looked at her with an irritated expression. Blizzardhowl got up and continued without saying a word.

When she got outside, she looked up at the moon and wondered if walking would ever be as easy as it once was.

 _How did I ever get my warrior name?_

 **Somewhat uninteresting, but not every chapter can have something climactic. :P**


	11. Chapter 11

A half moon passed of Pearlpaw struggling to train. Standing and walking on the rough stones didn't make her paws bleed, but made them sore. They were slowly adjusting, however. Her hunting skills didn't seem satisfactory for her mentor. Her lack of fighting ability seemed to irritate the grey-furred cat. Today, Pearlpaw was trying to change one of these things.

It was sunhigh and she'd only managed to catch a small mouse. Now she carefully stalked a squirrel. Her prey looked up every few seconds, its brown tail twitching wildly. What was she doing wrong? She tried keeping her heartbeat relaxed, and her breathing slow and quiet. She didn't even step on a twig. Yet the rodent hurried up the nearest tree.

"You waited too long."

She jumped at Stormpaw's voice. The grey cat was sitting nearby, grooming herself, a bird at her side. Pearlpaw didn't know what to do. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to master the task of hunting. Stormpaw must've noticed her depressed mood.

"Besides that, your fur is white. You'll hunt better during Leaf-bare." The yellow-eyed cat looked irritated when Pearlpaw looked disbelievingly at her. "You've only had a half moon of training, too."

"But Songstar seems to think I should be better at hunting. I don't even want to know what she thinks of my fighting skills," Pearlpaw managed to sound humorous, just a little.

Surprisingly, Stormpaw purred. "It's not exactly your favorite thing, is it? She's the leader, and she's never had an apprentice before. She's probably just as nervous as you are."

"I doubt it."

Her den-mate pushed the bird towards her. "Here, pretend you caught it. I have a rabbit and two small fish buried near the river."

She didn't like the idea of deceiving everyone, but she feared what Songstar's reaction would be if she only returned with a mouse. Before she could thank Stormpaw, the grey feline said, "maybe when I take them back to camp, I can go look for Bellchime. She keeps sneaking off into the forest with Chainlink."

The other RogueClan apprentice ran off and Pearlpaw took the bird to where she had left her mouse. She carried the fresh-kill back to the training area where Songstar was waiting. Fallfur was there too, with an excited looking Flickerpaw. Songstar made no comment on the prey. She simply gestured with her tail towards a rock. Pearlpaw left the dead animals there and walked over to her teacher.

"Hi," she said quietly to Flickerpaw.

"Hi! We're going to train together!"

"Thunderheart says you should still be careful with that foot," Fallfur said to Flickerpaw.

"And you need to practice with some cat who won't accidentally hurt you," Songstar said simply to her own apprentice.

The calico cat pointed with her muzzle to a clear spot away from the stones. Before she could say anything, Flickerpaw trotted over to that area in the large clearing. Pearlpaw nervously followed. The two cats faced each other, and circled, waiting for the other to make the first move.

The fire-colored tabby cat suddenly moved forward to tackle her. She barely made it out of the way in time and somewhat lightly bit her opponent's tail. Flickerpaw turned and charged again and she jumped into the air, landing awkwardly on the other cat's back. Pearlpaw was amazed she was even doing this well. She clung to the fiery pelt, as Flickerpaw tried to get her off.

"Stop!"

Instantly, they parted, and turned to look at their mentors. The two adult felines were laughing hysterically. Both apprentices tilted their heads. Pearlpaw figured that if she did something wrong, at least they weren't angry with her.

"What's funny? I wanna know!" Flickerpaw whined.

"Pearlpaw, that was hilarious," Songstar laughed.

"Your tail," Fallfur said to her apprentice. "In her face twice in ten seconds. At least one of those times was intentional."

"Why is this so funny?" Songstar questioned.

"I don't know!"

Flickerpaw whispered in her ear, "they've gone crazy and are having a crazy laughing party. Let's join them!"

Flickerpaw then proceeded to laugh along with the two older cats. Pearlpaw just stared, wondering how what happened could be so amusing.

OoOoOoOoOo

That evening, Fallfur and RogueClan's leader had come back to camp in a joyous mood. Thunderheart had hated having to tell them the news. Lizardtail was dead. She worked hard to hide the scent of death. Oneclaw was upset enough already, and definitely didn't need to smell that terrible scent.

She heard something hit the ground beside her and turned to see Ivorykit. He had dropped a few lavender plants in front of his feet. "This is lavender, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's it, but you don't have to help me."

Ivorykit looked even more depressed upon hearing those words. She hadn't meant them to sound the way that they had. She wondered if the kit's interest was mere curiosity, or would she have an apprentice when he was older? She crouched in front of the young kit.

"I have an idea. Why don't you go help Flickerpaw? I think her foot is still sore. She needs to use it, but not too much. And she's really impatient to continue her training. Try finding a way she can, while not hurting her foot again. It was really badly broken."

"Ok…."

She couldn't tell if Ivorykit felt any better having something to do. As she continued preparing Lizardtail's body, she kept an eye on the off-white kit. He spoke with the fire-colored apprentice for a bit, who looked reluctant to admit her foot still bothered her a little. Ivorykit then hurried over to the bush barrier and plucked a large leaf from one of the branches.

He carried it back over to Flickerpaw, seeming to take this task more seriously, and Thunderheart wondered what he was thinking. She soon returned to her den and observed Darkwood leading a terribly upset Oneclaw toward the other cat's body. A familiar scent reached her nose and she abruptly said, "Shadefeather!"

"Come to the Great Willow tonight. We have a message for you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Since people seem to be losing interest in the story (the past couple of chapters have had maybe two views each), I'm moving it along a little. Also, thinking about putting the PMD story on hold. Just…. Not feeling humorous recently. Should I do that, or begin making the story more serious?**

Another half moon passed. Pearlpaw's hunting skills had improved noticeably, and she was making progress as far as combat. Fogtail and Rainstep, worried about Wavekit, asked everyday when they were going to attack the Tribe. The white-furred apprentice was gradually becoming more relaxed in Clan life, but she still hadn't asked about her flaw.

OoOoOoOoOo

A full moon's light softly illuminated the forest. Stars shone above them, reminding Hawkstrike of the city. Contentedly, he rolled over on his back, thankful for the wonderful feeling of grass. Twilightgaze lay beside him, in a similar position. They were an odd pair, to be honest. She was quiet, calm, and cold. He was impulsive and short tempered. But there was no denying it; they loved each other.

Hawkstrike breathed a deep, concerned sigh.

"What's wrong?" Twilightgaze questioned, her golden hoop earring gleaming in the light.

"We came from a very dangerous place. We survived a perilous journey. Not every cat made it here alive." He turned to his future mate. "And we won't live forever, not here on Earth. I worry that over time, the cats of RogueClan will forget where they came from, and what it means to truly be a warrior."

Twilightgaze purred comfortingly. "Many things will change over time, but RogueClan descendants will always have warrior blood."

OoOoOoOoOo

The next morning, Songstar awoke suddenly, to the sounds of battle. She hurried out of her den, expecting to see Tribe cats. She was actually somewhat relieved to see a fox. Its movements were quick, but hindered by Emeraldfire on its back. Mossfur clawed at the creature's face and ran around to get a firm grip on one of the animal's hind legs.

Rustpaw did the same with the other hind leg and the fox fell onto its side. Steelclaw tried to bite one of its front feet, but his opponent's jaws clamped down on his foreleg and threw him a few feet to the side. His movements were slower than when she'd first met him….

Bellchime helped Emeraldfire pin the larger animal while Songstar rushed in to help. Irontooth was shredding its ears and even Pearlpaw was batting at its face, claws unsheathed, though her sister looked terrified. Hawkstrike sank his teeth into the fox's throat. Songstar jumped onto the fox's shoulder and clawed at the animal's neck.

But if the fox was going to die, it clearly intended to take someone down with it. Despite the flurry of claws and teeth at its face, the vixen turned and clamped down hard on the grey cat's neck. It didn't let go, and she wondered if this was the end of her leadership. Songstar couldn't breathe. She could hear her slowing heartbeat, and feel her head throb.

Her vision blurred and black spots appeared in it. The noise of the fight grew fainter and fainter until it ended entirely. The fox…. Was it dead? Her injuries numb, she hardly felt the fangs being removed from her body. The blood pooling around her mouth…. Was it hers? Her heart was beating slower now, as Thunderheart appeared in front of her. The calico she-cat was talking, her voice muffled.

"….star? Can you hear me?" The medicine cat turned to Leafwhisker, who'd appeared beside her. "….cobweb….bleeding…."

She heard less and less until finally a peaceful silence overtook her.

OoOoOoOoOo

A light rain fell on the forest. A foreboding silence gripped the camp. Steelclaw would be fine, according to Thunderheart, but they still awaited news about their leader. Pearlpaw was shaking. She'd never seen so much blood before, and most of it had been coming from her mentor. She stared at the medicine cat's den, a few tail-lengths from the entrance.

She hadn't realized it until now, but she felt a sort of connection to the Clan leader. She felt two wet pelts brush against her, one on either side. Frostkit's damaged eyes looked up at her sadly. Ivorykit licked the few scratches that she had. Pearlpaw simply remained where she was, thankful to have real friends.

And she was going to be a real friend to them, too. "You should go inside the nursery, so you don't get sick."

"It's Newleaf," Ivorykit objected.

"That doesn't matter," Rainstep said as she approached them. "It's raining and it's cool out. You can still get ill."

"But what about Pearlpaw? And Songstar?" Frostkit asked her mother. Rainstep gently guided her kits toward the nursery.

"Everything will be ok," she told them, glancing at the apprentice.

Thunderheart padded out of the medicine cat den, looking tired. Just about everyone stared at her, waiting. "She will live."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, any cat whose injuries still need attending to, come in."

Pearlpaw followed a few others inside and waited patiently for Thunderheart to get to her. Soon enough, the medicine cat was examining her. The older cat commented that the few injuries cleaned by Ivorykit had been cleaned very well. She wondered if he would be Thunderheart's apprentice. After all, he did make what Darkwood had referred to as a "shoe" for Flickerpaw's foot. The cheerful, yet somewhat immature apprentice had been able to continue her training, while not overworking her foot.

She walked back outside, the rain still falling. Hawkstrike was temporarily in charge now, and a number of cats had gathered around him to listen to his plan. From what Pearlpaw could hear, they were going to leave the dead fox at the Southern border. Maybe that would scare the Tribe into backing off? The apprentice sighed, and began to sing her song.

 _I dreamed of a place_

 _Where the moon always shone_

She'd been thinking about the words, trying to find the ones that sounded the best.

 _I came from a place_

 _Where I was alone_

Unable to think of anything else, she was silent.

OoOoOoOoOo

In MoonClan, a cat known as Dewleaf observed RogueClan's leader. Songstar's lifespan had been prolonged, and she'd been given several gifts. But one could only cheat death so many times. How long would it be until something succeeded in killing the grey-furred leader?


	13. Chapter 13

**Yep, have slightly lost inspiration, but I'd like to finish the story. There's this whole timeline of events planned out in my brain. The Rise of RogueClan was very action-y, and this story's supposed to be calmer. I will try to make it more interesting than it is, though. Wasn't planning to write it just yet, but I think I'll write from Wavekit's point of view.**

Fourth Kit sat at the entrance to the nursery cave, the eyes of several fighters watching him. Where was his family? Didn't the warriors already know the Tribe camp was underground? Didn't Fogtail and Rainstep want to see him again? In the chaos of the attack, he was sure he'd heard Frostkit scream. That scream haunted the little kit. Was the Clan ok?

And if the Tribe wanted to kill everyone in RogueClan, why hadn't they harmed him?

So many questions, too many, too serious for a cat his age vexed the RogueClan kit. The fighters and hunters insisted that he was now a Tribe cat, which only further confused him. He tried distracting himself from the doubt that he would be rescued by thinking about the Tribe's strange way of life.

It was like there were two different kinds of warrior here: the ones who fought and the ones who fed the Tribe. Mentors and apprentices were teachers and observers. Queen was a permanent status; a path that she-cats could decide to take on their Day of Choosing. That was another thing: the Day of Choosing.

It was when a kit became an observer, and gave themselves their name. Fourth Kit as he was known now, didn't want a name change, unless it would be to Wavepaw. The white and brown kit began paying more attention to the camp. It was a huge cavern, with every den being a cave. The walls and ceiling of the main area glowed a bright amber color.

Gleaming Dewdrop walked past him, her silver tabby pelt smelling like a medicine cat's den. The fighter cat didn't acknowledge him; she simply limped over to the fresh-kill pile, which was next to a wall. Listener emerged from his den. The older cat was thin, and his muzzle had more than a few white furs. The brown cat's whiskers were crooked, and his pelt was unkempt. To Fourth Kit, he looked crazy.

"Fading Smoke!" Listener called. A grey cat, with the status of listener shadow, quickly ran up to the leader.

Fourth Kit had forgotten about the shadows. Their job was to directly serve the Listener of Whispers in any possible way. They were the only cats allowed to become the leader's apprentice, and next Listener. There could only be two at a time. The question persisted though: what would he do if he weren't rescued?

He looked to the older shadow, who wouldn't be around for many more moons, and Fourth Kit began to form a plan.

OoOoOoOoOo

A few moons had passed since she became an apprentice, and Pearlpaw was slowly becoming more confident. Anxiety about her unknown flaw bothered her during her free time. She tried to preoccupy her mind as much as possible. Today, she hunted one of each prey animal. Today her anxiety wasn't due to her flaw. Songstar was watching.

She took a deep breath and tried to remember everything she'd been told about fishing. She'd killed a mouse, a bird, and a clumsy squirrel. Pearlpaw was happy she didn't have to go after a rabbit too. Her mentor challenged her to something better every day, and every day, she always failed at at least one thing. Songstar was patient, though, and Pearlpaw was thankful.

She swiped at one of the fish, extending her claws. She only ended up batting it out of the water a few tail-lengths and it fell right back in. She heard a hiss from the bushes. Pearlpaw's fur fluffed up. She should've caught it when it was coming down! She had to be back before sundown, which didn't give her long.

The next time she saw one; she tried again, and felt it escaping her grasp like the first one as she brought her paw up. She jumped forward and caught it in her jaws. Pearlpaw held on to the flailing creature as she went underwater. She tried to swim back up, but the current was pulling her under. Water entered her nose and she struggled not to panic.

Her prey disappeared in the water, and Pearlpaw's muscles screamed for her to stop using them. She saw two grey forelegs enter the murky river. As she was carried by the current, she saw them disappear, and a cat jump in nearby her soon after. Songstar pulled her upward by the skin of the back of her neck.

It felt like forever before they reached solid ground again. The white-furred apprentice gasped for air and sank her claws into the earth after collapsing onto it. The two breathed heavily for a few seconds and Pearlpaw nearly jumped upon hearing Songstar's fear-filled voice.

"What in the world were you thinking? I warned you about the strong current here! Of all the places to fish, you pick here? And then you jump in? Pearlpaw, what is wrong with you?"

The question upset her frail nerves and she breathed even heavier. "I don't know!" she yelled desperately. "I don't know! I try to do everything right, but I can't and I don't know why! I'm sorry!"

She wanted to run from here, but her legs refused to lift her. Songstar sighed and looked at the ground. "You can never do _everything_ right. No cat is perfect."

Pearlpaw wasn't sure she understood. "What?"

"You don't have to be perfect. Everyone has flaws. Why do you think cats need training when they turn five moons old? It's because they aren't born knowing everything about hunting or fighting." The leader paused to let her sister think. "Sit up, and I'll tell you a story."

Pearlpaw's legs ached as she did.

"This is the story of a prism dragoness."

OoOoOoOoOo

"…. And from now on, you will be called Stormpelt," Songstar finished in a tired tone.

Mossfur joined her Clan-mates in welcoming the new warriors. "Nightfeather, Barktail, and Stormpelt, of RogueClan!"

Songstar retreated to her den without so much as a look at the fresh-kill pile. Something was troubling her friend, and Mossfur intended to find out what. No cat seemed to notice that Firepelt was sneaking away. The orange tabby looked around the camp cautiously before disappearing into the night.

 **So how was it?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Starlight: thank you~**

Sisters? They were _family_? Pearlpaw struggled to understand everything she'd been told. So RogueClan didn't even have a name before…. Not only did she have a sibling, but Songstar would also be a legend! Future generations of RogueClan would tell the tale of how they rose, and how Songstar became the first official Clan leader in the eyes of MoonClan.

Now that she knew the truth about perfection, the white-furred apprentice felt relieved. She would always do her best, but now Pearlpaw could fail without so much anxiety. The day's events had left her exhausted. But she couldn't help but notice Firepelt's not so casual exit. She remembered that Firepelt had supposedly fallen asleep, letting Flickering Flame escape.

She suddenly felt concerned for the safety of the Clan, and followed the scent trail when no cat was watching. Pearlpaw wasn't sure what had brought this odd protective feeling. She just…. Needed to find out what was going on. The nocturnal insects drowned out the sound of her footsteps, and a fading moon floated in the night sky.

She followed Firepelt to the Great Willow-Star Willow now. Pearlpaw kept to the undergrowth at the edge of the giant clearing. Straining her ears, she could only faintly pick up the sound of the warrior's voice. Well, at least her Clan-mate wasn't conspiring with the Tribe. But why would Firepelt want to keep her visit here a secret?

She carefully stalked through the taller grass until she could make out words.

"Help us…. I didn't…. how…."

Pearlpaw tried sneaking closer, but Firepelt's ears picked up the sound of her paws. "Hi," she greeted awkwardly, standing up.

"Were you spying on me? How much did you hear?" the warrior questioned nervously.

"Not much," she replied, walking closer to sit beside Firepelt.

The older cat looked to one of the willow tendrils and reached out a paw to touch the emerald leaves. Firepelt looked up at the sky, a worried look in her yellow gaze. Her tail-tip swished anxiously. The flame-colored cat seemed to know something that she was reluctant to share.

"What's wrong?" Pearlpaw asked.

"I…. I didn't fall asleep. That wasn't how the Tribe cat escaped."

"How _did_ he then?" she questioned, her fur bristling with nervousness.

"That's the thing: I don't know! I heard him say something about not caring what his leader said, that he wasn't just going to stay there any longer. It sounded like he'd been able to leave the whole time, but for some reason, his leader wanted him to stay. I looked away for a moment and he was gone."

Pearlpaw took a minute to think about this. If Flickering Flame could've left the whole time, why suffer through as much as he did? His leader…. The Tribe leader knew of this ability. But "Listener" as he was called, must want to keep that power hidden, Pearlpaw reasoned. She suspected that Flickering Flame wasn't the only cat with this mysterious ability.

"I think I know," she said quietly, wondering just why the enemy leader would hide their power rather than try to intimidate RogueClan with it. "I think I have an idea of what it means."

Firepelt seemed surprised, and looked to her expectantly.

"I need more time to think about it," she explained. She paused before saying, "I'll leave you alone now, so you can speak with MoonClan."

She realized how rude it was for her to have interrupted, and apologized before leaving. The apprentice cat's legs ached as she made the journey back to camp. Pearlpaw spoke with her friends for a short time before collapsing onto her bed of moss. Sleep came quickly and easily.

OoOoOoOoOo

Cavvile's sleep was troubled to the point of no sleep at all. How dare that hatchling? Zari was just a _hatchling_. She had no right to disobey him! First she insults his offspring, and now this? That despicable creature! He had to find a way to speak with Ectri himself. The gold dragon was sure of one thing: this wasn't over.

OoOoOoOoOo

Songstar ate her bird quietly, feeling terrible for upsetting Pearlpaw. She glanced at the nursery entrance and saw Bellchime. The white cat's stomach was noticeably larger than before, but it would be some time before the queen gave birth. Songstar's apprentice emerged from the den and chose a mouse for breakfast.

Pearlpaw seemed deep in thought. RogueClan's leader decided to give her sister some time to think. She quickly finished her meal and retreated to her den. She enjoyed the soft moss of her bed and reflected on her past. She closed her eyes and dreamt of the journey. Songstar's dream turned into a nightmare when she remembered a certain cat.

This cat had stalked her throughout most of her journey with the Clan. This was the same feline that was responsible for Nightfeather's slightly torn ear, which the warrior had received moments after birth. The injury had become far less apparent over the moons, but it would always be visible. Songstar's hatred for the stray reawakened during her sleep.

 _Pharaoh…. What became of him?_

"Songstar?"

She opened her eyes to see Frostkit looking back at her. The kit looked nervous about something. The RogueClan leader lifted her head and asked, "what's wrong?"

"Thunderheart says I'll be able to train…. Rainstep and Fogtail say so too. But I wanted to ask you…"

Songstar sat up, forgetting her dream. "Of course you'll be able to. Won't be much longer before you can start your training. About a moon and a half, I believe."

"Where's Wavekit? Is he going to become an apprentice too?"

The grey-furred cat wasn't sure how to answer. No one could seem to figure out the Tribe camp's location. Would the siblings be united in time? She'd ventured into enemy territory and followed every clue, every scent trail and it'd led her nowhere. Songstar didn't want to lie to the kit.

"I don't know. We can't find him, or the Tribe's camp. But soon, you and Ivorykit will be able to help us look."


	15. Chapter 15

**The story titled 'A Different Path' will probably become more interesting at around chapter ten. Also, since the PMD story is now officially on hold, I can begin another story! I intend to finish the on hold stories, just at a later time. Anyway, I put more options on the poll of my profile, so go see and vote!**

 **Starlight: I'm planning for something very interesting to come along, just not yet..**

 **Ps: Back from the hospital again**

Pearlpaw's legs struggled to propel her onward. The brown furry shape ahead of her was like a ghost gliding across the forest floor. It effortlessly slid under a bush and continued running. The RogueClan apprentice tried jump over the plant, but ended up leaving some of her fur behind among the branches. Ignoring that, she continued her pursuit. Pearlpaw was sure the rabbit was nearing its burrow. She had to catch it soon.

Summoning all her energy, she lunged at her prey, claws fully extended. Quick as a blink, her jaws clamped down on one of the animal's hind legs. She pinned the rabbit and sank her teeth deep into its neck. Pearlpaw meowed with triumph as she stood beside her catch. Her first rabbit! The apprentice had come up with a plan after her conversation with Firepelt. A warrior would be too suspicious, but a younger cat...

Still, she wanted to get as much training done as possible. After all, this was a dangerous plan. The past few days had been full of battle practice, but with just enough hunting to make sure no cat asked any difficult to answer questions. Pearlpaw had figured out a way to really help the Clan. They had been so much more accepting of her than her own parents. She wanted to repay them somehow.

The apprentice returned to the base of a tree with her rabbit. She dug up the mouse she'd left there and struggled to carry them back to camp. Boneclaw and Irontooth were sharing a squirrel. Hawkstrike and Songstar were deep in conversation in front of the leader's den. Steelclaw was lazing in the sun. She dropped her prey on the fresh-kill pile.

Pearlpaw cleaned up the elders' den, then ate a small fish. Since RogueClan's leader was busy still, she went to ask if Nightfeather would teach her some things.

OoOoOoOoOo

Despite her best efforts, the patrol moved at a slightly slower pace than normal. Blizzardhowl's attempt at running towards the border was a quick jog for everyone following her. Her self-confidence became lower every day. She was always the last to enter a battle, because she was the slowest fighter.

Snowstripe was just behind her, a look of encouragement in her mother's green eyes. Leafwhisker and Barktail weren't far. Blizzardhowl could see the familiar trees and bushes ahead. Immediately, a foreign scent reached her nostrils. It wasn't Tribe scent, and the enemy group was never spotted around here anyway. She halted, and raised her tail. Those behind her instantly stopped and breathed in the new smell.

No, it wasn't just one scent, but many. Just how many, she wasn't sure. She lowered her tail slightly and continued with caution. The scents were not stale, but they weren't very recent. Blizzardhowl padded to the invisible line of their border and looked out at the forest beyond through narrowed eyes.

"Barktail, Leafwhisker," she said in a low voice. She pointed with her muzzle in one direction and the two cats left. "Snowstripe, let's go this way."

They thoroughly checked the border, and found that the scent did stray over it a few tail-lengths every now and then. The RogueClan cats renewed their scent boundary. Blizzardhowl left deep scratches in the bark of a tree and Snowstripe brushed against a bush, seemingly bathing each leaf in her scent.

Once that was finished, the leader of the border patrol struggled to run back to camp. Songstar needed to know about this.

OoOoOoOoOo

That evening, Pearlpaw found herself singing not because she was upset, but because she wanted to.

 _I dreamed of a place_

 _Where the moon always shone_

 _I ventured to a land far away_

 _Now I belong, now I'm not alone_

 _The whispers of the past begin to fade_

There. That seemed like enough daisy leaves. She doubted she could carry more, anyway. The white-furred cat picked up what she'd collected for Thunderheart and began walking back toward camp. She reflected on the news that had spread throughout the Clan and hoped these other cats weren't hostile. There was enough to deal with at the time.

She entered to find that things were not as calm as they normally were in the evening. Probably because of the discovery, Pearlpaw thought, and went inside the medicine cat's den. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and she spotted the calico's figure. What was Thunderheart staring at?

Pearlpaw followed the other cat's gaze and saw something dark. She put down the herbs and called to the distracted feline. Thunderheart stared blankly at the apprentice for a few heartbeats before saying, "I don't know where this feather came from, but it was on fire the instant I looked at it. I have to go speak with Songstar."

Before Pearlpaw could respond, the adult cat hurried past her. Confusion vexed her. How could a feather just appear and then burst into flames? She slowly padded over to the mysterious object, approaching it like it was somehow dangerous. Pearlpaw reached out and touched the charred thing.

There was a flash. The surrounding world was a blur, but she thought she was in a huge cave of some sort. The only things that were clear to her were the wings. Two giant feathery wings extended and she hardly had time to look at their fiery colors before they combusted. A strange sound reached her ears and she suppressed a scream of surprise. Then the vision was over.

She looked down at the feather and watched as it dissipated, turning to ash before seeming to disappear.

 **Ok, in an effort to keep the story interesting, a group of strays is coming to RogueClan! Submit some cats if you wanna. Names can be human words, 'cause they're coming from a city.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yeah, I disappeared again…. I was sick, but didn't wanna sleep and wake up with a completely stuffed nose, so I was up for…. Not sure how long, sleeping a little on the couch. Also, there was a tie. But Rising Dawn won the coin toss.**

 **Chapter….start~**

"I really don't like this idea, Bee," said a silver tabby cat with yellow eyes.

"You're so paranoid," her friend replied, golden eyes full of exasperation.

"I am _not_. You know how cats are like in the city. Who's to say RogueClan cats aren't that way too? Arrow says they originated there."

"We originated from there and we're just fine," the yellow tabby replied. "Like I said, you're just being paranoid."

A dark brown queen and a dark tabby male only listened to the bickering as they kept an eye on their kit; Ant. Ant had been the only one of their litter to make it out the Human place alive. His pelt was a dark reddish-brown color, and his eyes were leaf-green, like his father's. His mother, Twig's eyes were the color of gold.

"Silverchain, calm down," Bee told her friend. "You're one of the best fighters I know, and I doubt they'd try to harm us."

The silver cat thought about her parents, who'd died protecting her from a pack of wild dogs. Her mother had been called Silver, her father, Chain. After losing them, she combined their names to make hers. She'd remained in the safety of an abandoned building, hunting insects for a moon before venturing out. She'd taught herself how to hunt, and fight off the prey-thieves, which were plentiful in the city. She later joined this group, after they managed to earn her trust.

She sighed. "I guess you're right. We don't have much prey to steal, anyway."

A black feline returned to their base near a small willow tree. Behind him were Bamboo, a grey persian, Candle, a white she-cat, and Seed, a tabby and white male. One of the two cats who were sleeping woke up and asked about fresh-kill. The fire-colored cat, Cinnamon, quickly claimed a mouse for herself. Sky, the brown feline with a white-furred face, covered his blue eyes with his paws.

"Arrow!" Ant's father called. "Just when are we going to speak with these 'Clan' cats?"

"Soon, Bird, very soon. We met some while we were out hunting, and they said we should all come to their camp. We go at sunhigh."

OoOoOoOoOo

"But I wanna meet the strays!" Flickerpaw whined.

"They'll most likely be there when we get back," Fallfur told her apprentice.

Pearlpaw's tail twitched with impatience. She needed as much training as possible before she put her plan into action. She hoped her den-mate would be able to focus. They reached the training area and warmed up for their practice by jumping from stone to stone. It was much easier doing this than running around in the trees.

Thankfully, it was the one part of battle training she'd already learned, and learned well. They were soon practicing their battle moves. Flickerpaw batted her in the face and Pearlpaw head butted her opponent. They wrestled on the ground for a few seconds before parting. The fire-colored cat reared on her hind legs and Pearlpaw quickly knocked one of Flickerpaw's legs out from under her.

Flickerpaw landed on her back, and Pearlpaw leaped upward, landing on Flickerpaw's stomach. She meowed happily jumped to the side. Her den-mate's weight was suddenly on her back. It took all of her strength not to collapse. She rolled over in an attempt to dislodge the other apprentice. Pearlpaw's attempt failed.

The practice fighting continued for a while and both cats were exhausted. They collected moss on their way back, Flickerpaw acting like an excited kit the whole time. Finally they could see if the strays were staying with RogueClan. After meeting Hawkstrike's patrol, they'd said they wanted to join, but that was of course up to Songstar.

They entered camp, and Pearlpaw immediately saw new faces. A black cat with yellow eyes was the first to notice their return. A silver tabby observed the busy camp through narrowed eyes. A bright yellow tabby was talking to Rustpaw.

She walked over to them and dropped the moss before speaking, unlike Flickerpaw. Flickerpaw had left her own moss at the entrance. So many new cats…. Pearlpaw was excited too.

"Hi!"

"That's my hyperactive sister, Flickerpaw," Rustpaw was saying. "And that's Pearlpaw. Pearlpaw, Flickerpaw, this is our new den-mate, Beepaw."

"And this is Silverchain. Not much older than me, but she can fight really well, so she's a warrior."

"Hi," the silver cat quietly greeted.

Pearlpaw spoke with them for a few minutes, learning that Beepaw's mentor was Emeraldfire. There was a new queen in the nursery, Twigtail. Antkit's father was Birdwing. There were many new warriors. Pearlpaw tried to list them all in her head that evening. Silverchain, Skymask, Seedpelt, Cinnamonshade, Birdwing, Candlelight, Arrowtail, Bambooleaf….

After cleaning up the elders' den with Flickerpaw, she helped make Beepaw's new nest. Both happy and exhausted, she instantly fell asleep when she collapsed into her nest that night.

OoOoOoOoOo

It was time, though Fourth Kit was positive it was early. He couldn't tell how much time had passed, however. With no view of the sky, his sense of time could've been way off. His "sister", Third Kit had just chosen her name and role in the Tribe. The new fighter observer was pleased to discover that Gleaming Dewdrop would teach her.

He sighed. This was it. This was the day (or night) that would change his life.

"Fourth Kit, of Drifting Breeze's litter, come forward."

He silently obeyed, nervous about what was to come next. These cats weren't like other cats. The Tribe of Raging Fire had certain….. abilities. And he was about to become a member. Fourth Kit stood in front of Meeting Rock, hoping no one could smell his fear.

"Fourth Kit, will you be loyal to the Tribe? Will you perform the role that you choose to the best of your abilities, and promise to follow the laws of our Tribe until your last breath?"

"I will be loyal to the Tribe of Raging Fire," he said, knowing that he couldn't leave even if he didn't do this. "And I will be the best listener shadow I can be. I promise to follow the laws of our Tribe until my last breath."

As much as he hated making these promises, they weren't empty. RogueClan had had plenty of time to rescue him, and he couldn't wait forever. It was time for him to move on with his life. He would belong here, eventually.

"Now, with your Tribe-mates as witnesses, and under the watchful gaze of the Tribe of Whispering Embers," Listener was saying. "Choose your name."

"I am Crashing Wave."

"Crashing Wave!" the other cats echoed.

"As Listener of Whispers, I give you the great Flame Giver's gift."

The brown cat opened his mouth wide and his throat glowed brightly. Then a fire shot from deep inside the Listener's lungs. Crashing Wave felt the brown fur of his ears heat up. Suddenly, he felt much lighter, as though he could jump high as the treetops. He took a deep breath and watched the smoke billow from his mouth when he exhaled.

 **I hope that wasn't terrible…. Here's a question: who's your favorite character? Here's another: does anyone know what the Flame Giver is yet?**


	17. Chapter 17

A claw moon floated in the brightening sky. Stars were fading from the clear, grey-ish blue background. While the sky was peaceful, the forest was not. Pantherclaw's call had echoed throughout the area, waking many of the cats in camp. Pearlpaw and Rustpaw worked together to chase off a large Tribe cat.

Stormpelt and Arrowtail fought two enemy cats. Two more were coming along to help their Tribe-mates. Blizzardhowl joined that fight. Candlelight's deaf ear wasn't hindering her own battle. Pearlpaw could see that the white-furred warrior didn't need any help.

"Pearlpaw!" Hawkstrike yelled over the noise. "Get back to camp! Help make sure they don't get in again!"

She nodded, determined, and leapt over a charging Tribe cat. She ran the short distance to their camp, slowing her pace a bit as she neared the entrance, to let her Clan-mates see that it was her. Twilightgaze, Leafwhisker, Cinnamonshade, and Skymask were in the trees. Inside the clearing were Graveltail, Barktail, Steelclaw, Chainlink, Birdwing, and Nightfeather.

Twigtail was panicking within the nursery. Rainstep was trying to calm the newcomer, but wasn't exactly calm herself. Inside the medicine den, Thunderheart's voice could be heard. "Ivorykit, get more cobwebs!"

Since there was no fighting going on in the camp, Pearlpaw entered the elders' den. "Darkwood, Oneclaw, are you ok?"

"We're fine," the dark tabby answered, just before chaos erupted outside.

She ran to the bush barrier where a Tribe cat had gotten through, and began to fight alongside Steelclaw. The black and white enemy cat attacked with quick strikes, moving out of the way before Pearlpaw could land an attack. The enemy buried their claws in the RogueClan warrior's neck. She moved quickly as she could, and managed to get between her Clan-mate and the Tribe member.

Pearlpaw tackled her opponent, faintly aware of Irontooth's voice. "Steelclaw!"

She landed a powerful blow to the enemy cat's head and grasped one of their forepaws. She rolled until the bones broke. Before she could pin the other feline, Irontooth sank his teeth into their neck. The sounds of battle were dying down and Pearlpaw stepped back, waiting for the grey warrior to let go. He didn't.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Flickerpaw, Rustpaw, will you help protect RogueClan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"Yes," Flickerpaw said, excited, but not as much as usual. Rustpaw said the same, but quieter.

"Then from now on," Songstar jumped down and intertwined her claws with Flickerpaw's. "You will be Flickerfoot." She moved to Rustpaw. "And you are Rustpelt."

"Flickerfoot and Rustpelt, of RogueClan!"

It'd been a few days since the death of Steelclaw. Mossfur sighed. Why was the Tribe so hostile? Many moons ago, Darkwood had claimed she would be one of the greatest warriors of RogueClan. So far, she had done nothing of significance. Not that she was after fame, it just seemed like she would've done something really important by now. Maybe Darkwood was wrong.

The dark tabby she-cat had noticed Blizzardhowl's depressed behavior. Strange how the three-legged feline still didn't seem to fully accept what had happened. But Frostkit seemed much more comfortable with her own vision loss, even if the kit's confidence was a bit low.

"Pearlpaw, come with me," she could hear her friend saying.

"Twigtail doesn't believe we should be here."

She hadn't noticed Seedpelt's appearance. His voice was toneless as he stated the fact. Mossfur silently agreed with the tabby and white feline. The latest queen in the Clan was paranoid, and much like Pantherclaw, somewhat overprotective. Birdwing insisted that they were safer here, in a large group, and far away from Human dangers.

"Do you agree with her?" she asked quietly, observing camp activity.

"No. But I've yet to be convinced of this 'MoonClan''s existence."

"Maybe you should go and speak to them?" she suggested, turning to see that Seedpelt's gaze was focused on her. "You could go to the Star Willow tonight…."

"Maybe I'll do th-"

"I told you, Bird! I told you we shouldn't have come here!"

"He probably just snuck off to explore the forest," the dark-furred cat replied.

"Antkit's missing?" she questioned, trotting over to the den.

"I'm sure he just snuck out of camp to explore," the kit's father said.

"But he didn't _have_ to sneak out just to explore. Kits are allowed out of camp if they have someone to watch them," she explained.

Panicked, Twigtail wasn't listening. "I have to go find him!"

Birdwing hurried after her as the queen ran out of camp. Neither Songstar nor Hawkstrike were there at the moment, so Cinnamonshade, Skymask, Leafwhisker, and Mossfur herself formed the group that would go look for the kit. Cinnamonshade took the lead, following Antkit's scent trail out of the entrance.

OoOoOoOoOo

 _He must've snuck out during the ceremony,_ was her last thought before sleep overtook her.

She had waited too long, she realized. Her plan had a serious flaw. While she wasn't an adult, RogueClan's enemy group would know better than to trust her. She'd fought the Tribe's members without hesitation or any sign of disloyalty to her Clan. They would never believe she would have a sudden change of heart and join them.

A familiar voice echoed in her head, the voice of Niz's father. _Ectri! You must return!_

Surprised, she wondered just how Cavvile had summoned enough magic to contact her. She hesitantly questioned, _why?_

 _You don't belong there. It was wrong of you to run away from your parents, you had no right to leave the realm, or your family's lair for that matter, without permission!_

 _But…. They…. I…._

You _will do as you're told and come back to this realm._

 _I…. I don't belong there. My place is with RogueClan,_ she replied, wondering were this boldness was coming from.

A terrible roar rang in her ears, striking fear into her being. Her emerald eyes opened in an instant, and the warning came as a whisper.

 _If you won't come willingly, I will come, and drag you back to your birth realm myself!_

 **Gasp! A chapter! My brain went into "no writing" mode... Still trying to get out of it.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Still trying to overcome this writer's block issue…. And nope, the Flame Giver isn't a dragon, but it** ** _can_** **fly. :P**

"Let all cats of RogueClan gather for a meeting!"

Everyone had eaten their breakfast, and now gathered around Tall Rock. Pearlpaw sat next to Emeraldfire, with Beepaw by her other side. The days since her disturbing dream…. Each felt longer than the last. Her sister told her not to worry, but she couldn't seem to rid herself of the familiar emotion of anxiety.

"Two members of our Clan are ready to become apprentices. Frostkit, you are now Frostpaw, and Blizzardhowl will teach you."

The three-legged warrior appeared shocked to have been chosen. Then anger flashed in Blizzardhowl's icy eyes while she moved toward her apprentice. She placed one of her forepaws on one of Frostpaw's and then led the younger cat to the front of the crowd. Ivorykit watched her, looking depressed.

 _It's not his fault,_ she thought sadly. Frostpaw's eyes had been injured when she tried to rescue him. In a way, she had succeeded. But then Wavekit had been taken instead. Pearlpaw stared at the soon-to-be apprentice and wished that he would realize the simple fact. It wasn't his fault. It was the Tribe's.

"Ivorypaw, you have chosen to be a medicine cat, so your mentor will be Thunderheart."

The calico stepped forward and placed one of her forepaws on one of Ivorypaw's. "You'll do very well," Thunderheart said quietly to him. "You already know so much," she continued encouragingly.

"Frostpaw, and Ivorypaw, of RogueClan!"

OoOoOoOoOo

"Roach dung!" Hawkstrike cursed as a bird escaped, alerting any nearby prey.

He'd been having trouble focusing on anything since Antkit ran off. Kits could be so irritating! Antkit should've known better. When the kit was found, it would take serious self-control not to shred that fluffy tail…. Hawkstrike hissed with frustration, walked over to a nearby tree and sharpened his claws with the bark.

A familiar smell entered his nose, and his fur began to rise. A dog? So far away from Human territory? He sprinted in the direction of the creature. The canine may not be a threat, he knew from experience. Some dogs were timid. But this was likely a wild dog, which meant it was probably dangerous.

When the scent told him he was near, the orange feline scaled a tree. He narrowed his eyes with concentration and saw movement behind some bushes. He meowed loudly to alert the creature of his presence. In a moment, the dog was at the base of the tree. It was definitely untamed. Its dark brown pelt was severely matted, and mostly covered its eyes. Its claws were dull and overgrown, but Hawkstrike could see the teeth. The teeth were dangerously sharp, and the canine's muzzle was stained with blood.

He let it bark crazily while trying to climb the tree. Someone nearby would surely hear the noise. Help would arrive soon, so he leapt down and began the fight. Hawkstrike's claws met the savage creature's nose and it yelped. He tackled the dog, and latched onto the matted fur. He tried to sink his fangs into his enemy's throat, but the pelt was too thick to get through.

While the dog's jaws couldn't reach his neck, the enemy animal clamped down on his tail. Pain shot through his spine and he knew immediately that his tail was broken. The warrior cat screeched with fury and let go, quickly backing away to prepare for his next move. He didn't move fast enough. Teeth sank into a foreleg and he was thrown into a spot of dense undergrowth. Thinking quickly, he grasped a small, but sturdy twig. The dog's face appeared in front of him.

The creature lunged at his head. He moved just in time, and saw opportunity. As the dog swung its head toward him, he aimed, and prayed that this would work. High-pitched yelps hurt his ears as the weapon entered the canine's eye. Surprised but relieved, he limped away from the dog. Panting, Hawkstrike looked to the sky and thought, _thank you._

Rainstep, Emeraldfire, and Beepaw arrived, and proceeded to attack the injured animal. Beepaw looked impressed at the sight of the dog's condition. The now much less menacing creature pawed weakly at the twig, limping now from the injuries the she-cats had given it.

"Hawkstrike!" Emeraldfire called. "How about putting this creature out of its misery?"

He purred. That dog could've attacked in the night, and harmed his Clan. Of course he wanted it dead. Though, he knew better than to help. His shoulder was throbbing and it felt like his tail was on fire. He made a sort of waving gesture with the paw connected to his injured leg.

"Go ahead."

The fire-colored feline looked to her apprentice. "Beepaw, if you can get your teeth into that thing's throat, Songstar will _have_ to make you a warrior!"

"Is that even possible?" the other cat asked, swiping at the dog's muzzle.

"If we can pull out enough fur."

OoOoOoOoOo

In the end, it was Rainstep who killed the intruder. Yes, eventually, enough fur was pulled out for the warrior cat's teeth to be fatal. Emeraldfire would have Hawkstrike's rank for a little while. Pearlpaw heard the distant sound of thunder and looked up at the sky. A storm was coming. Nightfeather sat down beside her and began to eat a mouse.

Pearlpaw was nearly finished with her bird. The sun was setting. She would've liked to watch it, but the sky was full of thick, dark clouds. The view wasn't very nice. A cool wind rushed through the camp, bringing the scent of rain. The area was illuminated for a heartbeat and the thunder that came after that was enough to startle many of the RogueClan cats.

 _Could this mean Cavvile is h-_

"It's kind of weird, don't you think?" Nightfeather interrupted that thought, observing Bellchime and Chainlink. "They're so opposite, it's funny."

"Sure, it's a little odd," she replied after thinking. "But look at Hawkstrike and Twilightgaze."

"True," her friend agreed. "Strange how some cats can be so different, but so close."

"And some can be so alike, and hate each other's guts," Coaltooth said, inviting himself into the conversation. "Emeraldfire and Cinnamonshade haven't gotten along well since five minutes after they met."

Nightfeather laughed. "Remember the other day, when they nearly shredded each other over what kind of fresh-kill tasted best?"

"Completely ignoring that it's a matter of opinion," Coaltooth added.

The white-furred apprentice found herself purring with amusement. She realized while her friends were talking, that even though she still had anxiety about the situation, she was much calmer than she would've been. Pearlpaw thought about her past self, and far she'd come.

She took a silent deep breath, and thought, _I'm not going back. Not without a fight. My place is with RogueClan, and soon, I'll be a warrior._

 **I hope that this chapter was not horrible… and I plan to post another one soon!**


	19. Chapter 19

Beewing silently crept along a tree branch. Tribe scent filled her nose, and she was unsure if any enemy cats were close. If she was the only feline here, members of the Tribe had only just left. This area was well within RogueClan's territory, yet there was no scent trail to follow.

She'd come across this by pure accident. The squirrel she'd been stalking long forgotten, Beewing jumped down into a small clearing. Where was the scent strongest? Her nose led her to a hole at the edge of the clearing, well hidden under the leaves of a bush. The yellow cat slowly crawled into the darkness.

Her muzzle hit a wall of dirt. The soil couldn't have possibly smelled more like a Tribe cat. Confusion vexed the new warrior as she began clawing at the earth in front of her. Dirt rained onto her face and she sneezed. She continued her search, digging deeper and deeper into the ground. The loose dirt was easily moved.

"What in the world are you doing?"

"Icefall!" She instantly gave up on the exploration; the answers to her previous questions now clear to her.

"Can't you smell that? Tribe cats are around here somewhere, and you're…. Digging?"

"They're not here anymore," she told him, backing out of the tunnel. "C'mon, I have to tell Songstar about my discovery!"

OoOoOoOoOo

 _I dreamed of a sky where the moon always shone_

 _I came from a life where I was alone_

 _The light from that moon led me here_

 _I didn't know, but now it's clear_

 _The eyes I saw within my dream_

 _The eyes of MoonClan watching me_

 _Those spirit cats led me here, and I don't know why_

 _I don't know how_

 _But my claws are much sharper now_

She picked up the herbs and started carrying them back to camp. Pearlpaw wondered why she enjoyed singing so much. It was very strange, she'd never heard anyone else sing; yet it felt so natural to her. The white-furred feline was excited about the coming litter of kits. Any time now, Bellchime and Chainlink's offspring would be born.

That event was so close in fact, that Thunderheart wanted both herself and Ivorypaw in camp until it happened. So Pearlpaw had been the one to collect this multitude of plants. She heard the sound of small paws hurrying through the undergrowth. Just seconds later, a familiar cat appeared before her. It was a dark reddish-brown cat with green eyes.

"Antkit!" she yelled in surprise, dropping the herbs.

"Pearlpaw! I saw them! They can do things cats can't do!"

"What? Where've you been?"

"The tunnels…. The Tribe lives underground, and they can move the dirt so no one can find them! Th-"

"Wait. Come on, we have to tell Songstar," she said, running toward camp.

OoOoOoOoOo

"So now we know how to find them," Songstar said quietly. "How many more of those tunnels exist below us?"

She was hesitant to attack. The earth collapsed on a Tribe cat, and any RogueClan member could suffer the same fate. They had no idea exactly where underground the Tribe base was. Visions flashed in her mind of wandering through the darkness, and being attacked in a tiny space, where there was no room to fight or flee.

Standing upon Tall Rock, she raised her voice over the many others. "We cannot attack yet. We don't know where their camp is and they would have an extreme advantage. There simply isn't enough information-"

"We've waited for too long already!" Rainstep argued.

Irontooth agreed. "We should've done more in the past."

"Think!" She nearly had to scream to make herself heard. "Tribe scent will be too strong in such a confined area to track down their camp by smell. If they live underground, they will see us before we see them. The same is likely true for hearing. There would be too much risk, and too little chance of success."

"Maybe not," said her sister's voice. Silently, everyone looked to the entrance.

"I know the tunnels pretty well…."

"Ant?"

"Antkit! What were you thinking? Why did you leave camp?"

OoOoOoOoOo

Soon after Antkit's return, he was inside the leader's den, explaining what he knew about the tunnels. Not all of the entrances to the underground were blocked. Many of them outside Clan territory were open and unguarded by the mysterious Tribe cats. He told the leader about the various powers their enemies seemed to have.

It had been concluded that there had been no collapse. The Tribe members had blocked off the entrance in that clearing purposely. Antkit explained that there were a number of tunnels and chambers the Tribe cats rarely used. He'd hidden in those parts of the underground for a while, secretly observing Tribe life from opening above their camp.

The kit was happy to eat fresh-kill again after living on insects for so long. He spoke of a room that always glowed a fiery color, and a strange light feeling in his lungs. Magic. It explained everything, and Songstar felt like an idiot for not figuring it out.

The attacking felines were Irontooth, Icefall, Fogtail, Rainstep, Fallfur, Twilightgaze, Arrowtail, Pantherclaw, Nightfeather, Snowstripe, Emeraldfire, Pearlpaw, and of course her closest friend, Mossfur. The full moon's light illuminated their path. A cool, nocturnal wind rushed through her pelt.

RogueClan's leader felt energized, and sprinted uphill. She could see the outlines of two stones, with a background of stars. Her pace slowed as she neared the tunnel. Traces of Tribe scent entered her nose, but it was nothing recent. Songstar glanced back at her Clanmates and led the way into the darkness.


	20. Chapter 20

**Well, it's not 1,000 words, but it's something. Been sitting there in the computer for a while, until I finally decided to post it. I hope it isn't terrible! (I think this might be my fanfiction catchphrase :P)**

The grey leader couldn't stop the memories from flooding into her conscious mind. She could sense her Clan-mates' unease, but to her the magic in the air felt welcoming. Visions of her birth realm plagued Songstar as she made her way through the tunnels. But she felt no longing for the peacful land. She belonged with RogueClan, and would reamain with them until the end.

She could see an orange glow coming from ahead, and became fully alert. Her pulse quickened with anticipation. What would be the outcome of this battle? Would they find Wavekit? Would she discover where this magic was coming from? She looked around at the mysterious chamber from the opening.

Very few cats were out, and the eerie quiet seemed equivelent to the loudest of thunder storms. Finding out which of the tunnels below them were dens would be a guessing game. She was ready to play. Songstar leapt down onto a stone jutting out from the wall and landed surprisingly unnoticed. Emeraldfire was right behind her, along with Mossfur. Emeraldfire jumped to the floor on her left. The dark tabby went right. She walked to the edge of the stone.

Just as she was spotted, she began their assault. "RogueClan, attack!"

Some warriors jumped to the stone first, while others sank their claws into the earth and slid to the floor. Rainstep was looking for her lost kit as Arrowtail faced a cat twice his size. Enemies came pouring out from their dens. Songstar hadn't been expecting so many of them. Two apprentice-aged cats tackled her at once.

She was able to dislodge them from her pelt, gaining many new scratches in the process. Before long, they were both retreating. A blue-ish grey feline clawed at her face before she had time to act. Blood trickled into her left eye and she felt teeth in a hind leg. A furious screech erupted from the Clan leader. Her fangs entered the grey cat's throat and didn't leave until the body stopped moving.

Partially blinded, she was about to call to Snowstripe, to ask her if Wavekit had been found. She was on the ground before the words came. Songstar used her hind claws to shred her attacker's stomach, but it wasn't enough to move them. Pearlpaw leapt over her tabby opponent, the apprentice hooking her claws into their shoulder as she went.

It unbalanced him, and together the siblings defeated their enemy. The sisters stood tail-to-tail as a group surrounded them. The fiery glow of the room was brighter for a moment, and Songstar saw flames out the corner of her eye. Antkit had mentioned that the Tribe often spoke of their power over fire.

"Did that really just happen?" she heard Irontooth question.

"Y-yeah," replied a bewildered sounding Nightfeather, almost too quiet to hear.

Fallfur, Twilightgaze, and Fogtail joined the sisters. Some of the Tribe cats were far from skilled fighters. Others were only barely defeated. Nightfeather and Pantherclaw joined their Clan-mates. The chaos of battle went on for what felt like moons, and her amber eyes kept glancing at Pearlpaw. A purr rose in her throat as she observed the apprentice.

 _She's fighting like a w-_

"Nightfeather!"

A large white cat had pinned Pantherclaw's kit. The Tribe member inhaled, her throat glowing with magic. Yellow eyes gleaming with victory, she parted her jaws. Pantherclaw practically threw her backwards and stood in front of Nightfeather. Pearlpaw hurried toward them, but was too late to stop anything.

The noise of battle died down as Pantherclaw's dying screech came to an end. The Tribe cats were about to resume their attack, when a familiar brown cat yelled for them to stop. Nightfeather stood, shivering and staring at the ashes before her. Songstar was enraged. She began walking in the Tribe cat's direction, but her paws would hardly move. It took every bit of effort she had just to stay upright.

"Songstar," Twilightgaze said quietly.

Following the black cat's icy eyes, she looked down to see her chest was soaked with blood. Only then did she feel the wound in her neck.

OoOoOoOoOo

His former Clan-mates didn't even notice when he first appeared at Listener's side. He didn't blame them. Crashing Wave was just as horrified by what had taken place. He didn't dare show it. He wanted so badly to join RogueClan, to be on their side for whatever was about to take place. But he knew he couldn't. He had been chosen by the Flame Giver, and was bound to the Tribe until death.

"You have disobeyed the Great Flame Giver by revealing your powers," Listener was saying. "And now these evil creatures have seen what we're capable of."

"Isn't that for the better?" Fading Shadow asked.

"You dare question our ruler? Release them!"

The shadowy feline let the cage of earth collapse and the Clan cats inside it joined the others. Songstar was looking weaker by the second. Crashing Wave could do nothing but wait for the Tribe leader's orders. Two adult cats stepped in front of the crowd, looking at him with disbelief. Rainstep…. Fogtail….

"Wavekit?" Rainstep limped forward, but was blocked by his Tribe-mates. "Wavekit, c-come here."

"No," he answered quietly.

"Wavekit, we were so worried about you! Come, we'll go back to camp and you can see your siblings."

He looked directly into Fogtail's eyes, and repeated the word. "No."

Silence.


	21. Chapter 21

While Wavekit's parents stared at him, horribly confused, Pearlpaw watched the strength disappear from her sister's amber eyes. Songstar finally collapsed, much to the delight of the Tribe. No cat dared speak. This was a battle RogueClan couldn't win, and Pearlpaw's heart was racing. But along with the fear that she felt, there was also boiling rage.

These cats made an enemy of RogueClan for no reason, then hid behind magic ablilties when things became difficult. Songstar had a special connection to MoonClan and would likely be ok despite her injuries. With this in mind, Pearlpaw stood closely beside Nightfeather. The black-furred warrior sank her claws into the dirt.

"I'll kill her," Nightfeather whispered so quietly that only her friend could hear.

Pearlpaw looked at the Tribe cat and replied to her friend, "but not tonight."

"It would anger our ruler to claim victory tonight," the Tribe leader said, his voice echoing. "Leave."

OoOoOoOoOo

Four nameless kits looked around at camp, their eyes full of wonder. Two brothers. Two sisters. Blizzardhowl observed as the silver tabby led her siblings toward the warriors' den. Just behind, a grey and white tabby kitten followed happily. The identical grey-pelted kits walked side by side, much calmer than the other two. All of them had yellow eyes, except for their leader. Hers were a deep blue color.

Blizzardhowl questioned if they would live to be warriors with the Tribe around. Or maybe they would turn against their Clan, like Wavekit had. She pushed her mouse aside, no longer hungry. Sunhigh wasn't too far off and she was in no mood to speak with other cats. But she could only delay Frostpaw's training for so long.

She called to her apprentice, who'd been sitting outside the medicine den with Ivorypaw, and the two left for the clearing. She warned her apprentice not to daydream. She was only going to explain things once. Blizzardhowl didn't feel she should waste her breath any more than that. Frostpaw, if alive long enough to receive a full name, would never be truly useful.

 _It's why Songstar chose me to teach her,_ she thought miserably. _We're exactly the same. We'll never be real warriors._

"Now," she said, carrying a leaf into the clearing and dropping it onto a patch of bare earth. "When a bird is on the ground, it's much easier to catch…."

She rushed through her explaination of bird hunting and watched as the smaller cat tried and failed to obtain the best form. Exactly what happened with mouse hunting. There wasn't much difference in the needed stances, but it existed, and Frostpaw was failing at this too. Blizzardhowl watched as her apprentice jumped far too high and landed heavily _beside_ the leaf.

"Do you think Wavekit will ever come back?"

"No. Now try again."

Closer, but still not there.

"Why do you think he decided to stay with them?"

"Because he's flea-brained. Again."

Well, one of her apprentice's paws at last touched the target.

"Better."

"Fogtail and Rainstep are very upset. Ivorypaw is too."

"They'll survive."

"Can I try hunting real prey now?"

She nearly laughed. How did Frostpaw expect to catch actual prey when she could hardly manage to pounce on an inanimate target? Blizzardhowl then felt surprised at her own cruelty. There was nothing funny about this. If her apprentice was confident enough to try, why say no? Sure, the hunt was doomed to failure, but there was no harm in allowing the attempt.

"Sure."

OoOoOoOoOo

Three weary paws stepped heavily on the ground beneath them, alerting any nearby prey of their owner's presence. This didn't concern him, however. Food was the farthest thing from his mind. His senses could detect powerful magic in the direction he was walking. He stopped at a highway and waited for the a gap in the flow of traffic.

 _Humans,_ he thought disdainfully. _If I could, I'd destroy them all._

His pelt had changed again, though he didn't bother to question why or how. What was once black and white was now a blue-ish grey color. His eyes were different now too, amber instead of yellow. A very rare color for a cat's eyes to be.

At last he was able to cross, reaching the other end of the wide path just before a car raced by behind him. Oh, how he longed for the days when the air was clean. Ignoring the stench of Human contraptions, he continued his search. He had to find the source of this magic.

For a short time, he reflected on the life he'd once had. But there was no point in this, he soon reminded himself. He had lived for longer than any cat ever had- or should. He was too mentally exhausted to think about days that had long since passed. Simply allowing the memories to surface left him feeling almost too tired to go on.

Almost.

Something suddenly occurred to him. "Zari? Does this have something to do with you?"

His question was nearly silent, and spoken to no one in particular. Seeming to gain a new energy, Pharoah continued, a purr rising in his throat.


	22. Chapter 22

**So how's the new picture look?**

 **Starlight: Thank you for your suggestion and positivity!**

 **This story and Insanitytale should (emphasis on _should_ ) now be updated at least weekly. That's the plan, anyway. May have to change computers soon, as this one said "I ain't gon' do microsoft wurd. You gon' hafta restart me ta mak that work! Trololololololol!" ****Kinda why this chapter is a little short.**

 **Fun fact: My mother came up with Silverkit, her personality, and warrior name.**

 **Lastly thank you, followers of the story, for your patience!**

Several days had passed and RogueClan's leader had still yet to regain much strength. Pearlpaw was helping all she could, making sure the fresh-kill pile was full, reinforcing the camp barrier, and doing her best to help Nightfeather, Barktail, and Stormpelt.

She stepped out into the cool morning air and looked around. Skymask and Leafwhisker were entering the warriors' den after standing guard all night with Fallfur. Coaltooth and Beewing were sharing a bird. A group of cats was gathered around Hawkstrike, awaiting orders. The orange tabby's gaze met hers and he summoned the apprentice with a flick of his muzzle.

"You'll join us on the dawn patrol," he told her as she approached.

Arrowtail, Icefall, Cinnamonshade, and Firepelt left just before them to go hunting. Hawkstrike led the way. Silverchain, Birdwing, and Barktail followed, with Pearlpaw at the rear. Her fur bristled as they reached the border.

The familiar emotion of anxiety returned to her, and she detected faint fear scent coming from her Clanmates. There was no Tribe scent. There was no sign of a fox or dog. The forest here was eerily silent. The cats remained completely still in the undergrowth, glancing warily at the world around them.

What could've scared away all the birds and insects? A thought occurred to Pearlpaw, and she struggled to keep her heart from pounding. Was Cavvile's threat becoming a reality? Was the gold dragon nearby? She had tried to prepare herself for a confrontation, but couldn't ignore the truth.

Cavvile was far stronger than her.

If it really did come to a fight, she didn't have a chance of winning.

A furious hiss interrupted her thoughts, and she realized she was trembling. Hawkstrike glared at her for a few moments longer, which felt like an eternity, before seeming to make up his mind about something.

"We'll split up. Silverchain, you and I will go in that direction." He pointed with his tail. "Barktail, Birdwing, you go in the other. Pearlpaw, go back to camp and report this to Songstar."

She nodded, and the group dispersed. She quietly hurried in the direction of camp. Had Cavvile come for her? Would she be forced to leave her Clan? She thought of her birth realm, and of how she'd dreaded facing each day. Even if things would be better now, she didn't want to return. She felt as though she truly belonged in RogueClan.

Reflecting on her past only made matters worse. Thinking of her timidness, Pearlpaw felt anger join her fear. It took a few heartbeats for her to realize she'd stopped. Clearly, not much had changed since her arrival. She was still terrified. Even after all that had happened, everything she'd been through. After everything she'd seen. After everything she'd felt. Despite it all, she was still terrified.

She sank her claws into the earth, images flashing in her mind of a gold dragon tearing apart the camp. She saw herself cowering in the apprentice den, any notion that she'd changed at all, shattered. She decided not to let that vision become reality. If Cavvile was here, she wouldn't let herself hide from him.

Whatever happened, she would face it head on. Pearlpaw turned and headed back for the unnaturally silent border. Her pulse grew quicker with every few pawsteps, but she didn't slow her pace. Somehow keeping her fur under control, she seemed to reach the invisible boundary a little too quickly. She took a deep breath, relishing the scents of RogueClan. Would this be the last time she smelled these wonderful scents?

She tried not to think about it as she ventured onward. The forest remained quiet as she padded across unfamiliar land, trying to look confident. Wind rushed through the canopy of foliage. Shadows of treetops danced on the otherwise sunlit ground. The farther away she went from her territory, the more the forest around her faded.

 _Where are you, Cavvile?_

OoOoOoOoOo

"Rat dung!"

Antkit furiously kneaded at the patch of grass he sat on. Stupid rules! He looked around, hoping to see a butterfly he could take his anger out on. He was disapointed. There was nothing here to be the target of his rage! Except….

"Sneak attack," he screamed as he pounced on the tiny grey and white tabby.

Immediately after, a mossball landed on his head. Shaking off the mound of plant matter, he turned and saw Silverkit heading towards him. The silver she-kit's gaze was challenging, and he released the mewling Keykit. He growled with irritation. He was twice her size, darn it! But Silverkit's dark blue eyes held a strange authority that he couldn't ignore.

Seemingly satisfied that her littermate was free, she asked, "what's wrong?"

Had she been watching him? Or was it simply that transparent? "I'm not allowed to be an apprentice until I'm seven moons old. _Seven moons_! And all because I snuck out of camp. I found out where those weird cats live!"

"But you broke the rules. Songstar couldn't just do nothing."

"If I hadn't, we probably still wouldn't know where the Tribe is! But I guess that doesn't matter."

"It matters." Emeraldfire's growling voice made him jump. "But what also matters is the rules. Learn to deal with the consequences of your actions, Antkit, or you'll never be warrior."

"So what's the consequence of me helping the Clan?"

"Just what do you expect? Helping your Clan should be reward enough."


	23. Chapter 23

A grey persian wandered aimlessly through the forest. A few days ago, Pearlpaw had gone missing, and no cat seemed to have the faintest idea why. No cat except Songstar anyway, and RogueClan's leader wouldn't share her thoughts on that. Bambooleaf wondered if their link was more than just being Clanmates. The duo seemed to share a secret.

She was supposed to be hunting right now. But she just couldn't seem to focus on such a boring task. Surely there was something else she could do to be helpful? Still, she had to catch _something_. Rabbits had always been a challenge. She purred, thinking of the few burrows in the territory. It just so happened that one was nearby!

She made her pawsteps light and the sound of her breathing undetectable. Her jaws parted as she tried to locate her prey of choice. Along with the scent she was hoping for, there was a tiny trace of moisture. Would there be rain soon?

Creeping through the undergrowth, it wasn't long before she caught sight of light brown fur. The rabbit looked up from the leaves it'd been chewing on. She froze, watching it's little nose frantically sniff the air. It seemed not to notice her, and returned to its meal. Bambooleaf pounced the instant it looked away.

She landed on grass as her target hurried off. Without a thought, she gave chase, oblivious to all else. The world around her seemed to blur. She barely avoided tripping on various tree roots. So close that its tail fur touched her nose, the chase ended abruptly. The rabbit disappeared and the grey warrior blinked in surprise. She'd run right into a bush.

She backed up, leaving a bit of her long fur behind. She stared at the red berries on the plant and immediately forget about the failed hunting attempt. She had an idea! These berries were incredibly poisonous, so what if she coated her claws in their juices? Would it perhaps be enough to kill an enemy?

The look in her light green eyes went from excited to concerned. It was slight, but she could hear the sounds of battle. Well, now was the time to test her theory.

OoOoOoOoOo

Firepelt was dead.

Frostpaw stared around at the chaotic mass of shapes, unsure of what to do. She'd had little battle training. Her thoughts were interrupted by a flurry of claws and she was on the ground before she could react. Looking up at the distorted tabby figure, her instincts took over. She lunged upward and her teeth found flesh.

Blood entered her left eye while she found her footing. Her enemy was choking, so she didn't let go. She felt claws in her skin just a moment before she was pulled back. While the unknown Tribe cat gasped for air, she turned and clawed at empty space. Pain shot through her tail. She found her new opponent and batted them in the face as hard as she could.

Rainstep's scent manifested beside her. Rustpelt appeared at her other side, rage radiating from every fur on his pelt. Together, the three of them fought. She was determined, like all of her Clanmates, to drive these vicious cats from the camp. In this moment, her lack of training meant nothing. She was born with these claws and knew just how to use them.

"Oneclaw!"

OoOoOoOoOo

Darkwood rushed to defend his denmate, leaning on his forepaws and kicking one of the enemy's hind legs with his own. The crack that followed brought a purr to his throat. They were far from the city, and fighting was just as brutal. It was nothing that his Clan couldn't handle, however.

He turned to Oneclaw, and the former leader's purr went silent. She was injured worse than he'd first expected, and the pool of blood that had already formed told him she was going to die. The battle around them suddenly seemed much quieter.

Amusement filled her yellow eyes. "Remember the Great Flood? And that rabid dog that tried to swallow my claw?"

"How could I forget," he asked, padding slowly toward her. "It's how you got your warrior name."

"Do you think future RogueClan cats will have such tales to tell?"

"Our leader was once a dragon. I don't believe RogueClan will ever run out of fantastic stories." The humor had returned to him for a moment.

She looked at something no other cat could see. "Lizardtail? Do my eyes decieve me or are you in a good mood?"

A few seconds after, Oneclaw's body lay lifeless. "Have a safe journey to MoonClan, my friend. I'll be joining you soon."

OoOoOoOoOo

A familiar Tribe cat entered her line of sight, and Nightfeather felt that spark of hatred again. She didn't know why the fox-hearts weren't using their special powers and she didn't care. Today she would avenge her mother. She sank her teeth into her enemy's forepaw and rolled. Did the Tribe have something to do with her friend's disappearance? She doubted Pearlpaw would simply run off.

She broke the cat's other front paw and glanced around. RogueClan was still weak after their failed attack. But the Tribe seemed to be losing. Barktail and Stormpelt appeared to be okay, so she dragged her screeching, hissing prey outside through a hole in the barrier. She started by blinding the Tribe cat, and then proceeded to pull a few claws from its feet.

She dragged her own claws through the skin of its stomach a few times, the scene from not too long ago replaying in her mind. Her Clan needed her help. Nightfeather decided not to waste anymore time with this cat, much as she wanted to. Something else caught her attention. A familiar grey feline was lying motionless. She couldn't see breathing.

"Stormpelt?"

The Tribe cat looked up at her, pleased by this new revalation. She used its neck like a scratching post before running over to her fallen sister. She hardly heard her own voice calling for Thunderheart. She didn't notice that the enemies were retreating. The warrior cat collasped beside her littermate and buried her nose in the still warm fur.


	24. Chapter 24

The RogueClan apprentice jumped yet again at an unnatural noise. Some of the "cars" emitted an odd screech as they passed by. It was a sound she'd heard enough times by now that it shouldn't unnerve her as much as it did. Her mouth was dry, but this water burned her throat, and the taste of it made her gag.

She had gone to confront Cavvile, finding a group of Humans instead. She had only seen the creatures before in storybooks. They were depicted as lesser beings. Tiny, unimpressive little animals that could only be a threat if they had managed to obtain powerful magical weapons.

Pearlpaw wasn't a prism dragoness anymore however, and to her they were terrifying monsters. She'd been paralyzed with fear, not reacting as one carried her to one of the cars and trapped her inside. After traveling for several hours, she was left here. In this building she remained, having gone deaf to the voices around her. Little could break her depressed trance.

Why did this happen? Why was it that something always had to go wrong? Maybe there really was something wrong with her, some horrible sin she couldn't remember doing. Or maybe she was cursed. Maybe the reason didn't matter. Perhaps there wasn't one. What if this was just how her life worked?

A new thing interrupted her thoughts. A Human was staring at her through the door of the cage. Just as it began to make her nervous, it disappeared from view. What was that about? A voice came from the cage next to hers, answering her question.

"It picked you. You're going home with it. Just in time, too. Cats who don't get chosen within a few days don't leave this place alive. I'd have told you sooner, but I didn't want to scare you."

She turned towards the raspy voice, wishing she could see its owner. Whoever this cat was, she'd answered Pearlpaw's questions, and listened to her stories about RogueClan. This new bit of information made her concerned for the other feline.

"How long have you been here? Y-you were here when I arrived!"

"Don't worry about that."

"But-"

"If they don't let you outside, just wait. They'll forget to close a door or window eventually. Then you can get back to your Clan."

The door was opened, and she went from one cage to another. The younger Human put its fingers through the square holes of the door. Why did it choose her? The happy look in its eyes almost made her forget about her problems. Almost. Unsure of what to do to thank it for rescuing her, she lightly rubbed her muzzle against its strange-smelling paw. It seemed pleased by the gesture.

The adult Human picked up the inescapable contraption, and started walking with its kit. Pearlpaw thought of her unseen friend as sunlight and fresher air reached her. She thought of RogueClan during the trip to the Humans' den. Would she ever see them again? Would they even want her there, after what she did?

OoOoOoOoOo

"I'm not saying she didn't leave on purpose," Twilightgaze calmly stated as he paced.

"Her scent trail was there, clear as day. Yet everyone is saying she didn't wander off!"

"Hawkstrike." Her icy stare halted him in his tracks. "Does it sound like Pearlpaw to just wander off? To disobey an order from the Clan's deputy? Just because she left, doesn't mean she didn't have reason to."

"Whatever the reason," he argued, calmer than before. "We need all of our cats _here_. Not off searching for a lost apprentice!"

"We need _everyone_ here?"

"Yes!"

"With Pearlpaw gone, we don't _have_ everyone here."

Despite his anger, the orange feline purred with amusement.

OoOoOoOoOo

Nightfeather sat motionless in the clearing, refusing to look at the blood on the ground, or the damaged barrier. Songstar had announced earlier that a search party was to go out and look for her missing friend. Pearlpaw's disappearance had been worrying the leader more and more. Finally, just a day after the Tribe's latest attack, the search would truly begin.

Cats had gone to look for Pearlpaw before now, of course. But with all that was happening as of late, RogueClan had been busy. Nightfeather had made up her mind: she was going to join this search party. She'd lost her mother, and now her sister. She wouldn't lose her closest friend too. She stood and walked over to the hollow tree trunk. She called to RogueClan's leader before pushing past the emerald vines. Songstar looked at her, concerned.

"I want to go look for Pearlpaw."

"Me too!"

Frostpaw barged into the den. "She's my friend, and I want to make sure she's okay."

Looked like Nightfeather wasn't the only one who felt this way. She doubted that Frostpaw was ready for such a mission. Still, she respected her Clanmate's boldness. Besides, Frostpaw had proven she could handle danger. Songstar looked thoughtful.

"Your tail's not broken, correct?" she asked the apprentice.

"Right," Frostpaw replied, nodding.

"Then come on, both of you."

The grey-furred feline led the way outside and jumped onto Tall Rock. Nightfeather waited patiently for the meeting to start, looking around for her brother. She spotted Barktail and trotted toward him. The siblings sat together, their tails intertwined as their leader spoke.

"I have decided who will be going to find Pearlpaw. Emeraldfire, Irontooth, and Nightfeather. Blizzardhowl, you and Frostpaw will be going as well. Whatever danger you might face," Songstar's words seemed to have a deeper meaning. Her amber eyes scanned the crowd, resilient. "I'm sure it will be nothing you can't handle."


	25. Chapter 25

**A short chapter, and new updating day…. Life is being insane again….**

"The moon isn't out tonight," Jade told her, staring out the window. "Does that mean MoonClan can't come out?"

"I don't think so."

"I don't like new moons," the Human said after a pause.

Pearlpaw jumped onto the window sill. "Why not?"

"New moons are when the monster in the attic comes out."

She wasn't sure just how she could understand Jade and not the Human's parents. The same seemed true for the adults, as if they understood her, she doubted they would've kept staring at their "computers". The moon had been nearly full the night she arrived here and Pearlpaw still hadn't asked to leave.

She knew what Rustpelt's reaction would be: "Where's your sense of loyalty?"

Icefall would assume the worst. "You've been planning to run away for a long time, haven't you?"

She didn't even want to think about what Hawkstrike would say. She knew what she should do. Pearlpaw knew that she should focus on getting back. The barrier and dens needed strengthening, the Tribe needed to be defeated, and Nightfeather needed some cat to talk to. The white-furred apprentice knew too well, exactly what she _should_ do. But why?

RogueClan didn't truly need _her_ , did they?

Things had been peaceful. She was developing a taste for the food, and Jade gave her water that wasn't disgusting. The air inside was cool and there were a number of places softer than moss where she could sleep. Pearlpaw had for the first time in moons, felt completely safe. Until now, that is. Fear quickly settled into her heart.

 _If I had a piece of fresh-kill for every time this has happened…._

"A monster?"

The normally lively Human simply nodded.

"Have you tried to tell your parents about it?"

"Yes, but they won't listen to me. They don't hear the scratching at night. Or the footsteps."

Light flooded into the room, followed by a belligerent voice. As the adult Human ranted at Jade for still being awake, Pearlpaw's emerald gaze hardened. Before she could think about leaving her new friend, she had to do something about this creature. The younger Human timidly stared at the floor. Pearlpaw jumped down and bolted from the room. If she thought anymore about her plan, she'd just lose her nerve.


	26. Chapter 26

With all the things Jade had readily told her (like what an attic is, for example), it seemed strange that this little detail had gone unexplained until now. Pearlpaw cautiously pawed at the door, and it moved with a squeak. She looked behind her at the staircase, hoping that someone would come to stop her.

No one was there. Oh, what was she doing? Did she really think she could take on whatever lay waiting in this shadow filled room? When she'd been too afraid to run away from the Humans in the forest? What would she have done if it'd been Cavvile? She would've reacted the exact same way, and these past several moons may as well have never happened.

 _But that's the case either way, isn't it?_

Who was she kidding? RogueClan didn't need her, and they probaby didn't want her. A scratching noise emanated from the darkness, interrupting her thoughts. Tiny claws against wood, and the skittering gait of a rodent. A mouse-like figure just beyond the light's reach. Too big to be a mouse though.

This must be a rat, she mused, and confusion instantly filled her emerald eyes. _This_ was what scared her Human friend? She stalked forward, though the creature showed no signs of fear. It must have either lost its senses or had no idea what a cat was.

Hunting was so natural to her now that Pearlpaw didn't even have to think about her stance. She'd brought prey back to camp more times than she could count. Her steps didn't make a sound. She pounced, and thinking back to what she'd been told about these things, made sure to hook her claws into its flesh.

Just as she expected, it's bones didn't snap like the prey she was used to. She reached down and sank her teeth into its neck. The feline had a few beautiful moments in which she thought the problem could be so easily resolved. It seemed the trend refused to die however, and something of course went horribly wrong.

Just as she realized this creature tasted of death, it disappeared from her jaws. She felt as though sand was slipping between her teeth and spat to rid her mouth of the foul taste. Streams of black flowed just above the floor, pooling in the sliver of light.

She trembled, backing away from the room's exit while the creature took on its real form. This was a rat all right. A rat made of living darkness, almost as big as Jade. Its unblinking red eyes seemed to look into her very soul. Pearlpaw's heart was pounding, and she noticed a feeling she couldn't quiet identify.

There she stood, frozen in place as whatever this was kicked the door shut with a hind foot. She hadn't known just how much light was in this room until the suffocating dark encased her. Paralyzed, she could only observe the two blood-red orbs move toward her.

"This way."

She at last moved, tearing her gaze away from the monstrosity. A soft glow came from behind something nearby. She leaped out of the way just in time to avoid snapping jaws and hurried in the direction of light. A silver tabby waited for her beside a small hole, leaf-green eyes glowing like two small moons.

"Go," said the mysterious feline, pointing her muzzle at the hole in the floor.

The cat faded, leaving her in the darkness once more. There wasn't time to think. She dove through the tiny opening and looked around. Below her was the kitchen, brighter than the attic. Pearlpaw dared to glance upward, and barely dodged the gnarled shadowy claws of her pursuer.

She slid from the top of the fridge and landed heavily on the counter. The sound of falling sand reached her ears. She turned, her tail knocking over a glass in the process. It rolled off the counter and shattered as it hit the floor. A waterfall of shadow cascaded from the fridge and onto the space before her.

She couldn't lead it to the Humans, and after they heard that glass breaking, the adults were sure to be in here at any moment. Mentally screaming at herself to think fast, her attention darted from one thing to another and another while the rat manifested again.

 _The window!_

She backed up, praying for safety. The being hurried to catch her. Wait…. Wait for it…. Now! It struck, and she felt it brush against her fur on its way past. The window was broken, but the creature only halfway out. She pushed it from behind. How was it so heavy? The stench of death was making her feel sick. She finally managed to push it through, and felt the rat's tail wrap around her foreleg. She had no time to react, or even register her injuries before it was time to run.

Why did these things keep happening to her?


	27. Chapter 27

***walks into room and bursts into tears* I'm sorry! I'm trying!**

 **Hawkstrike: Kay, shut up and post the chapter.**

 ***is instantly calm* Okay.**

A circle of light shone on a dirty stone path. Beneath its caster Pearlpaw hunched, the wounds in her stomach still bleeding. Hopefully she'd been able to lose that shadow creature. She doubted she could do much more running. Her lungs burned with each breath. The smells that entered her nose did nothing to cure her nausea.

She kept asking herself the same question over and over: what now? Should she return to the Human den? Would the adults think it was her who broke the window? Could she even find her way back? All the surrounding buildings looked identical.

"What do you _want_ to do?" a familiar voice questioned as though its owner was reading her mind.

Looking up, Pearlpaw saw the silver tabby again. Was it a MoonClan cat? She guessed so, now that she had a moment to think about it. Did it matter what she wanted? RogueClan felt like her home, but what if Cavvile came for her? She doubted the gold dragon would take care not to hurt her Clanmates while looking. Why should she put them in so much danger?

"Does it really matter?"

"Of course it does. Your path is your own. Each step is yours to take. _You_ decide, Pearlpaw. Don't let others do it for you."

The serene feline faded, and she was alone with her thoughts again. She knew what she wanted. But RogueClan was just fine without her and as long as she was away, there was no threat of Cavvile harming them, right? Pearlpaw suddenly noticed how weak she was and decided to figure this out later.

After all, she couldn't go anywhere if she was dead. There had to be cobwebs around here somewhere. With extreme effort, she stood and began limping along the path.

OoOoOoOoOo

A half moon glowed dimly in the darkening sky. Exhausted, she dragged the limp body of a squirrel through overgrown grass. Just how it was taller than the grass of RogueClan's forest, she had no idea. She didn't question it, choosing to just be thankful she'd found this place.

Eyes dull with tiredness, she dragged her prey up a few rotting steps and into the abandoned human shelter. Finally she would have fresh-kill again. She would give her injuries a thorough cleaning afterwards. As she sat down to eat, Pearlpaw noticed a slight movement in the corner of her vision.

Her heart began pounding as she imagined all the things it could be. A dog? No, they didn't know the meaning of quiet. One couldn't have snuck in here. She took a deep breath, that feeling from before manifesting again. It was probably nothing. She was seeing things. Probably from the lack of food and water, and stress of surviving in Human territory.

Halfway though her meal, she saw it again. This time she ignored it. An uneventful few minutes later she padded over to a filthy "pillow", cleaned her injuries, and quickly fell asleep.

For a few blissful hours, she was able to rest. Sleep was such a beautiful thing. Her anxiety had disappeared. She didn't feel the cuts in her stomach. No unpleasant dreams came to haunt her. Since this was Pearlpaw's life, however, such a thing simply couldn't go uninterrupted. She opened her eyes, fear striking her as something fell to the floor with a hiss.

She'd listened the elders' tales of the city. Most cats here were vicious creatures who wouldn't hesitate to kill over the smallest of matters. Surely this cat wasn't so violent? If they had wanted to hurt her, they could've done it while she was sleeping.

She didn't want to take any chances. At the same time, what if they were nice? What if they needed help? Despite her quickening pulse, she stepped as silently as she could toward the hallway. The decaying floor creaked under her weight. She could hear the same sound coming from ahead. While her mind ran wild with the possible outcomes of this, two ruby-colored eyes peered around the corner at her.

She froze, believing for several heartbeats that the rat had found her. After a few seconds that felt like forever, she at last realized that these eyes had pupils. Fear scent entered her nose and she was pleased. Finally Pearlpaw smelled something that wasn't the stench of Human creations. And if they were afraid too, they couldn't have the horrible intentions she'd feared.

"Hello," she said in an unsteady voice.

Surprise instantly lit the other cat's gaze and he started walking toward her, any trace of aprehension gone. Outside, clouds drifted away from the moon, and a beam of light shone through a hole in the ceiling. The light reached her pelt a moment before she backed away. Pearlpaw watched the strange cat step into the light, and his golden fur seemed to glow a bit too bright.

"Ectri? Is that you?"


	28. Chapter 28

Despite the dragon before her being in cat form, the RogueClan apprentice still trembled with fear. The very thing she'd been dreading the idea of was happening. Cavvile was here to take her back. She wanted to say with absolute firmness and confidence that she would go nowhere with him. Her mouth opened, but all that came out was a kit-like mew.

"You haven't the faintest idea how much trouble you've caused, hatchling!" Anger replaced the surprise in his ruby-red stare and his claws slid out onto the rotting wood.

"I-"

"You're coming with me, to the place where the portal will reopen in twelve days. And when we return you will not speak of this world. You will not utter a word of this filthy place, that troll's bile you call your sister, or any of the nonsense she's filled your head with! Understand?"

Pearlpaw tried to at least defend her sibling and her Clan's way of life. Her mouth moved, yet no sound came. Her heart felt as though it might explode at any moment. There were a few seconds that she wished it would. Perhaps in death, she would finally have peace. Even with such a wonderful possibility though, she couldn't truly wish for it.

"Ectri." By now Cavvile's eyes had narrowed to rage-filled slits. She unsheathed her claws, as though sinking them into the floor would somehow return her voice. "Do you understand?"

She nodded at the terrifying presence. He flicked his striped tail and headed for the pillow she'd slept on. She realized after he had settled down to rest that she wasn't breathing. She inhaled, relieved to feel some of the pain in her chest subside. She relaxed her paws and found that one of her claws was stuck.

 _Roach-brain,_ she called herself while pulling it free.

Sleep refused to come to her for the rest of the night. Any time she came close to drifting off, an image would flash in her mind of the paradise she'd fled. A land of seemingly eternal peace would be her prison before long. She was doomed to spend thousands of years in silence and uncertainty. Generations of RogueClan cats would come and go.

She would be forgotten. But she would never forget them. As the glow of sunlight gradually brightened the city, she groomed her fur and cleaned her injuries thouroughly. Her stomach growled. She tried to remember where that pool of water was but wasn't sure she could find her way back to it.

Cavvile stirred. He quickly stood, yawned, and shook some dirt from his pelt, not bothering to acknowledge her at first. After several minutes of awkward silence, his voice caused her to jump.

"Where are the others?"

"Th-they are…. RougeClan lives in…. I was-"

"Never mind. Where do we find something to eat? I haven't had a thing since I arrived here the other day."

Her thoughts returned to the previous night. She'd heard the sound of a flying insect just after she heard Cavvile. Had he been trying to catch a bug to eat? Since asking this question was a terrible idea, and she didn't have the courage to anyway, she didn't say a word about it.

"We would have to find an area with grass and trees. I saw some birds on top of some buildings but it's…. I don't know how to get up there."

"Then let's go."

OoOoOoOoOo

"Rat dung!"

She watched with increasing frustration as the bird flew off. After heading in the general direction the portal was supposed to be, the two had finally come across a small wooded area. Pearlpaw realized very soon after that that hunting was impossible with the gold dragon around. She was so close to their meal, and of course he just had to yell, "haven't you caught anything yet?" just as she was about to pounce.

This was the third time he'd sabatoged her hunt. This time however, she was going to say something about it. She started walking toward where his voice came from. At first her steps were confident. As she neared him, anxiety took over.

"I'll catch something soon," she promised. "But…."

"But what?"

"It's just…. We have to be quiet or the prey will hear us."

"So be quiet then!"

Pearlpaw realized that her tail was twitching, brushing against the grass, alerting any possible meals just as much as Cavvile's voice. She stilled it, noticing for the first time the shape of the other's pads. They'd been cut from walking on the stone of Human territory. They weren't infected, but the sight made her thankful for the rough boulders of the training glade.

The next time she returned to Cavvile, she came carrying a pigeon. They shared in silence, the sun heating their pelts to an uncomfortable level. It was just past noon by the time they were finished. Pearlpaw followed the gold dragon's lead. She didn't know just how he seemed to know where he was going, and her anxiety kept her from asking.

For every word she left unspoken however, that feeling she couldn't quite identify grew stronger.

A few days later, they rested at a fountain. Not a drop of rain had fallen and the air was suffocatingly hot. Cavvile's slight limp had turned into a painful struggle for each and every step. Pearlpaw's thirst was satisfied. As she rested on the rim of their water source, humans passing them by without a second glance, she got an idea.

She purred at the feeling of water soaking through her fur. The droplets that she'd felt moments before were nothing compared to this. Steadily paddling around the perfect circle, she held her breath and submerged her head. The liquid burned her eyes at first, but went away with enough blinking.

The chaotic noise that had buzzed in her ears no longer seemed to exist. The splashing of the water sounded much different. Sunlight almost looked like fish swimming around. Cavvile's forepaw appeared in front of her and she surfaced. Gripping the stone rim carefully with her claws, she brought her hind legs to the bottom of the fountain and stood.

Her few seconds of serenity over, she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong. "Enough of this," he told her. "You're drawing attention."

True, a few Humans were standing nearby, talking with one another. Likely about the weird behavior of a small white cat. They didn't seem hostile, though. She could somewhat understand one of the younger ones. He was approving of her idea. Pearlpaw knew that cats didn't normally enjoy getting wet, but couldn't bring herself to care right now.

"It's not that bad. They're just watching us. Come on," she continued, pushing backwards. "The water's great!"

"No. Get out."

"Why?"

"Pearlpaw? Is that you?"

She'd recognize that voice anywhere. A spotted tabby jumped up beside Cavvile. She was missing part of one ear, and the tip of her tail. A number of scars crisscrossed her pelt. A dog or something with similar claws had damaged one of her yellow eyes. Her jagged whiskers twitched as she observed Pearlpaw.

"Are all Clan cats part fish, or is it just you?"


	29. Chapter 29

"…. And you wouldn't believe the weird accent he picked up."

Pearlpaw licked her forepaws clean while her unnamed friend continued the story. She'd apparently been adopted just after Pearlpaw, and escaped from the Human soon after. The stray had invited herself to travel with them, much to Cavvile's annoyance. She was worried about the gold dragon losing his patience and harming the spotted cat.

But Pearlpaw was beginning to realize that her birth realm's ruler wasn't nearly as powerful in feline form. So the journey continued. The stray seemed able to tell what was happening, yet remained strangely unconcerned. She thought that her friend knew something she wasn't sharing.

The breeze brought with it a familiar smell that caused both cats to stop what they were doing. Dog. It was nearly undetectable among the many odors of the Human garbage field, but it was there. Close enough to smell. Fur standing up, Pearlpaw got to her feet and looked around for Cavvile. When her eyes fell upon her captor's resting figure, she called to him, surprised at the steadiness in her voice.

"Cavvile, we need to find somewhere else to sleep."

Her friend jumped onto the ruins of a car and stared at their shadowy surroundings. The gold dragon barely opened his eyes. "What?"

"Cavvile, wake up. We need to leave." The wind picked up once again. The scent was stronger now. "We have to get out of here _now_. There's danger."

"There is no danger here," he replied with a dismissive flick of his tail.

"Yes there is! We have to go!"

He glared at her, struggling to stand and opening his mouth to yell. A growl from the darkness silenced any argument. With all the debris around, and the noise of the city, their attacker had managed to sneak up on them. She turned toward the sound, claws instincively sliding out. A huge shape stalked in the direction of the two felines.

Her heart was pounding. Her tail twitched and her ears drew back against her skull in anticipation of battle. She hissed, and the stray was at her side a moment later. The canine's focus shifted between the two. Before long, it would decide who to go for first and chaos would erupt.

She looked behind her at the terrified creature. He'd never seen anything as insignificant as a dog as a threat before. A cat's body was still a foreign thing to Cavvile, and he hadn't had a day of battle training with cat claws. A thought manifested in her mind that she couldn't possibly have prepared for: Cavvile's reign of terror could end right now.

He couldn't run, not with his pads in that condition.

"You ready, Pearlpaw?"

She hardly heard her friend speak. The world seemed to have gone silent. They didn't have to fight. They could easily outrun the clumsy mutt and let Cavvile fend for himself. Which he couldn't. She felt nothing but a burning rage, actually considering this idea. A problem could be solved. Revenge could be hers.

Staring into the gold dragon's red eyes, her silent mockery might as well have been spoken aloud. _What's wrong? Can't handle a little pest like this?_

Turning back to the dog, she noticed a cloud had moved away from the moon, and her pelt glowed in its light. Just as soon as this dark version of her took over, it was gone. She felt different somehow. There wasn't time to think about it. Pearlpaw's mind was made up.

 _I'm a warrior, not a rat-hearted Tribe cat!_

"Cavvile, go find somewhere to hide."

She fought alongside her friend. Cat blood fell to the ground, mixing with their enemy's. Dull claws tore through her skin. Her sharp fangs ripped flesh from a foreleg. Its teeth found her hind foot and she was in the air. She gasped as metal pierced her side. Her frantic attempts at escape only seemed to worsen the problem.

She had to help her nameless friend. She had to make sure the other two cats were safe. Why did her paws feel so cold? She barely felt the metal as she tried to push herself away from it. The longer she struggled, the weaker she became. It didn't make any sense. The fight was still going on, wasn't it? Adrenalin should be giving her strength.

What was that liquid coming from her mouth? Why did she no longer feel her injuries? Wakefulness was quickly leaving her, but she could still faintly understand that she was supposed to be getting away from something. So she moved in a vain struggle for freedom.

"Stop! You're making it worse!"

 _Making what worse?_

She must've fallen asleep for a minute because when she opened her eyes again, she was somewhere different. A belligerant voice rang in her ears. Who was screaming? Why were they so angry? The world was fading again, and some part of her understood that it might never reappear.


	30. Chapter 30

"You miserable excuse for a cat! If you had just left her alone, Pearlpaw wouldn't have died saving your sorry tail!"

"If you knew she didn't wish to come with me…." Cavvile's voice was strangely quiet. "Then why did you not speak up?"

"I knew she would get tired of you. I've met cats like her before, _they_ have to get fed up and stand up for themselves. Won't learn anything if others do it for them. But now," she said, looking at the apprentice's body. "It's too late."

The gold dragon couldn't recall ever feeling this terrible. He'd been so blinded by arrogance that Ectri's needs never crossed his mind. Regardless of their intentions, her parents had led the hatchling to flee her birth realm. She'd had a sense of belonging in the "Clan" with her sister, a feeling she never did and never would feel in prism dragon territory.

His claws sank into the filthy dirt beneath his throbbing feet. No, he still carried a tiny amount of magic in his veins, as did Ectri. It was weak, but might be just enough. He limped over to her body, whispered some ancient magical phrases, and prayed.

OoOoOoOoOo

Pearlpaw awoke on a smooth flat stone. Above her, a full moon glowed, the disc of light accompanied by countless shining points. The scene above was mirrored by the still water that surrounded. Far from where she stood was a forest's silhouette. She saw the eyes of MoonClan cats even from here.

Never before had she felt so peaceful. There was no question. She knew what happened next: she had to choose. Just how she could return to her mortal body when it was in that shape, she wasn't sure. For several heartbeats, it didn't matter. She knew exactly what she wanted to do.

But as she waited, the dragon-turned-cat began to doubt. She knew now that the cats of RogueClan would miss her. She at last knew the truth. Her Clan-mates really cared about her, and there were still so many things she could do to help them. Dying and leaving them to wonder what happened was not one of those things.

She was thinking clearly now. Anxiety no longer clouded her judgement. If she stayed, she would finally have peace. She would never be afraid or have to fight to survive. No Cavvile. No dogs. No Tribe. Safety. MoonClan's territory would be a wonderful place to spend her afterlife in. Someday, she would return here.

The water surrounding her glowed, dimly at first, but soon shone with the radiance of a million stars. Her pelt reflected this light, and resembled the moon above her head. Stepping toward the edge of the stone, Pearlpaw took a deep breath made a decision: she wouldn't wait for death to become fearless.

She jumped.

OoOoOoOoOo

Early sunlight streamed through the clouds, which were dark with the promise of rain. With a sharp intake of polluted air, she opened her eyes. She'd seen this field of Human garbage last night, but felt as though she was seeing everything for the first time. She noticed the spotted pelt beside her now.

Her friend's muzzle was buried in Pearlpaw's stomach fur. Off in the distance, Cavvile lay curled up in a spot of sunlight. His pelt had lost its impressive glow and she wondered what happened while she was dead. Carefully, so she didn't wake the spotted stray, she stood and made her way over to him.

Though she could faintly feel her injuries, they had for the most part healed. "Cavvile," she whispered in a golden ear.

He slowly opened his eyes, blinking sleepily before realizing who was sitting before him. "E-Ectri?" He sat up and stared at her in disbelief. "You're alive!"

"More so than I've ever been."

He looked to some dirty shards of glass a few tail-lengths away. "I…. I owe you an apology. Just as so many gold dragons have done, I let arrogance control me. I thought only of what you did, and how disrespectful it seemed. Not of _why_ you acted as you did, or what you were feeling. I'm sorry."

She had come back revitalised, and this fueled her positive mood. "It's okay," she said with a purr. "Cavvile? Why did you come here without magic?"

"I had some small amount, which I used to heal you. I came with so little because magic has nearly disappeared from this world, and few still believe in it. Beings such as dragons are forbidden from coming to these worlds with no disguise. We are not to interfere with places like these." A memory flashed in his red gaze. "Nakir told me that pixies attacked your sister during her journey, however."

The image of the shadow rat resurfaced in her mind. "Magical creatures aren't supposed to come here?"

"Not under normal circumstances."

"But I was attacked by a rat made of darkness. And there's this other group of cats close to RogueClan that can breathe fire." She thought about mentioning MoonClan, but figured that that was an entirely different situation.

"A Tilirus? Cats breathing fire?" This was news to him.

"Do you know what could be letting them do that?"

"No, but I can find out. It may take some time, as there are hundreds of books I may have to look through before I find the answer. The sooner I return, the sooner I can begin my search." He started limping away as quickly as he could, then halted.

"Do you want me to help you get to the portal safely?"

"I'll make it. Goodbye, Ect…. Pearlpaw. Get back to your 'Clan'. It's clearly nowhere around here."

After his departure, she breathed in the smell of rain, feeling elated. From now on, whatever life threw at her, she would face it with zero hesitation. She had become a newer and better version of herself. It hadn't all been overnight, either.

 _It's time to go,_ she thought. But there was one more thing to do first.


	31. Chapter 31

Epilogue

Whatever had happened during their search, Blizzardhowl returned with a new confidence, and willingness to teach her apprentice. Before very long, the leaves would start to fall from the trees and the air would be cool. Pearlclaw exited the elder's den, where Rubyfang was already fast asleep.

Her paws led her to Star Willow. It was dark by the time she arrived, and fireflies drifted around the clearing. Wind rushed through the forest canopy and it seemed to whisper. Many of the glowing bugs rested on the willow's leaves. Star Willow was such a perfect name for the tree right now. She sat among the slender branches and began to sing.

 _I dreamed of a sky_

 _Where the moon always shone_

 _And under its light_

 _I wasn't alone_

 _No question now_

 _I'm where I belong_

 _I don't know how_

 _But they knew all along_

 _The eyes within my nightly dream_

 _The eyes I saw from where I sat_

 _They saw what I would someday be_

 _A member of a Clan_

 _A warrior cat_

 _I've never felt so alive_

 _Ready for the coming days_

 _And when I die_

 _I won't be afraid_

A lone voice was carried from one world to another. As two depressed prism dragons were laying in their nests, a familiar sound reached their ears. Their hatchlings were exactly where they wanted to be. Zari had already made it obvious to Nakir. Now they knew Ectri felt the same. They smiled.

OoOoOoOoOo

Long ago, prism dragons identified each other not just by aura, but by voice as well.

And each one had their own Song.

 **And done! 109 PAGES! This is probably the longest story I've written. So far. Updates have been weird because of life problems, but things SEEM, emphasis on SEEM to be normal now. So just have to get my brain back in writing mode. I already have plans for the next installment. But don't worry! I'm not starting it just yet. Wanna finish at least one of my other stories first.** **Kind of planning a sort of "reboot" of one of them.**

 **Gonna try writing the whole thing before I start to post it. QUESTION: should I do that for the next story? Should I try doing that with all of them?**

 **The ending was abrupt…. But was it okay?**

 **…. I think that's everything…. 'kay, bye.**


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